Sabres season-ticket holders got a head start on purchases for the NHL playoffs, and the response has “been so strong” that KeyBank Center “will be filled with Sabres fans,” according to Lance Lysowski of the BUFFALO NEWS. The Sabres can geo-fence ticket sales to prevent purchases by out-of-town visiting fans, but it will not “be necessary.” Sabres President of Business Operations Pete Guelli said there will be “few tickets” publicly available, adding it is “highly likely that most of the tickets for any potential game will be in the hands of our season ticket holders.” Thus far, the fallout at RSNs has “not reached the Sabres.” They have a multiyear agreement with MSG and, among U.S.-based NHL teams, Buffalo “tops local TV ratings.” Guelli: “We’re No. 1 in local ratings right now, so everybody is happy with how it’s performing. … Things are going really well with MSG. The network seems to be operating well right now. We’re happy with where we’re at, and we’ll be prepared if we need to pivot at some point.” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman “is eager” for Western N.Y. to host an outdoor game in the new Highmark Stadium. Discussions have “already taken place,” and the focus “remains on the NHL returning during the 2027-28 season” to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the original Winter Classic (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/2).
