KeyBank Center Will Remain Home to the Buffalo Sabres
BUFFALO, N.Y. – KeyBank Center, the home of the Buffalo Sabres, will continue to bear that name thanks to a 10-year naming rights extension agreement announced on Wednesday.
The new agreement will take effect next year and will run through the 2035-36 season. The Cleveland-based bank has a significant regional presence in Buffalo and assumed the naming rights to the downtown stadium after acquiring First Niagara Bank in 2016. As part of the extension, the bank’s name will appear on the Sabres’ helmets for away games starting this season.
The stadium is undergoing a series of much-needed renovations since it opened its doors in 1996. Last year, the Sabres replaced the roof and installed a new video scoreboard above center ice. The next series of renovations is expected to address the improvement of seating and fan amenities.
The Sabres control the building, which also houses the Bandits, three-time defending champions of the National Lacrosse League, and have put an emphasis on adding more events since Pete Guelli took over as the team’s chief operating officer last year.
In November, the stadium will host one of the 20 stops on Paul McCartney’s North American tour, as well as a women’s hockey Rivalry Series game between the United States and Canada prior to the Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, the Sabres have been struggling on the ice, with the team in the midst of a 14-season playoff drought, an NHL record.
