“Can the Buffalo Sabres Break the Cycle of Heartbreak? A Fan’s Tale of Endurance and Hope”
There are still rare nights in the arena that serve as a reminder of what Buffalo looks and sounds like when the Sabres are good. However, the Sabres have had only four sellouts this season, and 19 home games have had fewer than 17,000 people in attendance. Some of their largest crowds have come due to thousands of fans from the opposing team. That was most glaring for a December home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs in which visiting fans represented the majority in the arena.
Buffalo is the second smallest market in the NHL based on population, but the Sabres have the ninth largest arena as Buffalo has long been a market that punches above its weight. Commissioner Gary Bettman has always been supportive of the market, even when the team filed for bankruptcy in the early 2000s. When asked about the Sabres’ struggles on and off the ice, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic, “No concern at all with Buffalo Sabres ownership or franchise. I’m sure they would have wished for better results this season, but this is a good franchise, in a great market, with committed ownership.”
Post Comment