History of Buffalo Sabres in Timeline

The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team founded in 1970 and based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the NHL's Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. Since 1996, they have played their home games at KeyBank Center. Terry Pegula has owned the Sabres since purchasing the team from Tom Golisano in 2011.

1978: Logo Added to Shoulders

In 1978, the Buffalo Sabres' primary logo was added on the shoulders of the team uniforms.

1996: Logo and Color Changes

In 1996, upon moving to what is now KeyBank Center, the Buffalo Sabres changed their logo and colors, replacing blue and gold with red, black, and silver, and unveiling the "bison head" logo.

2000: Third Jersey Created

In 2000, the first third jersey of the Buffalo Sabres was created, featuring Sabre red as the primary color with black and silver stripes and the word "Buffalo" written near the waist.

October 7, 2001: Modified Jersey Tribute

On October 7, 2001, the Buffalo Sabres wore a modified version of their white jerseys in a road game against the New York Rangers, replacing the "bison head" with the "NEW YORK" diagonal wordmark as a tribute to the state of New York in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

September 16, 2006: New Jerseys Unveiled

On September 16, 2006, the Buffalo Sabres unveiled new home and away jerseys featuring midnight blue, maize (gold), silver, and white colors, and a stylized bison logo that was widely reviled.

2007: Reebok Edge Template Unveiled

In 2007, when the Reebok Edge template was unveiled, the Buffalo Sabres kept their "Buffaslug" uniforms.

Reebok Unisex Smash Edge Suede Sneaker, White/Black/Gum, 10.5 US Men

Check it on Amazon

2008: Winter Classic Uniforms

In 2008, the Buffalo Sabres wore the original white uniforms during the Winter Classic.

September 18, 2010: Primary Home Jersey Release

On September 18, 2010, the third jersey eventually became the primary home jersey, when the Sabres released a modern version of the classic 1970–1996 logo.

2011: Sabres Re-Affiliated with Americans

The Sabres became re-affiliated with the Rochester Americans starting with the 2011–12 season when Pegula purchased the Americans from former owner Curt Styres, after buying the Sabres.

2013: New Third Jersey Released

In 2013, the Buffalo Sabres released a new third jersey, featuring a gold front and navy back design that lasted two seasons before being retired.

2018: Winter Classic Uniforms

During the 2018 Winter Classic, the Buffalo Sabres wore white uniforms with the classic blue and gold shade, albeit with a different striping scheme from the original uniforms.

2019: Final Season of Navy and Gold Look

The 2019–20 season marked the final season of the navy and gold look, as the Buffalo Sabres announced the return to royal blue uniforms for the following season. Also, a 50th-anniversary white third jersey was used, featuring metallic gold elements on the logo and stripes.

August 11, 2020: Uniforms Unveiled

On August 11, 2020, the Buffalo Sabres unveiled the uniforms for the upcoming season. The style is similar to the ones worn in the early days of the franchise. Jersey numbers are no longer displayed on the front. The Sabres also released a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform, bringing back the "crossed swords" alternate from 2000 to 2006 but recolored to the current royal, gold and white scheme.

November 2021: Team Dog Added

In November 2021, the Buffalo Sabres added an official team dog, named Rick, a Newfoundland puppy trained as a service animal.

2021: Doug Allen Resigns

In 2021, Doug Allen resigned because of his refusal to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Doug Allen sang the Canadian and US national anthems at most home games.

2021: Rich Gaenzler Fired

In 2021, Rich Gaenzler, morning host at WGRF, was fired over an unrelated dispute pertaining to his WGRF show, which was canceled at the same time. Rich Gaenzler took over as in-game host beginning in 2018.

August 31, 2022: Third Jersey Announcement

On August 31, 2022, the Buffalo Sabres announced that their black uniform used from 1995 to 2006 would become their new third jersey. This same uniform also became the basis of their second "Reverse Retro" uniform, but recolored to the white, blue and gold scheme and featured white pants.

2022: Heritage Classic Uniform

For the 2022 Heritage Classic, the Buffalo Sabres wore a variation of their classic uniforms, but without the blue shoulder yoke and with a cream base.

August 17, 2023: Rick Jeanneret Died

On August 17, 2023, Rick Jeanneret died. Rick Jeanneret's legacy was honored by renaming Perry Street, adjacent to KeyBank Center, to "RJ Way" on October 13.

2023: Playoff Drought

In 2023, the Sacramento Kings clinched a spot in the NBA playoffs, leaving both the New York Jets and Buffalo Sabres as the teams among the major professional leagues with the longest active postseason drought at twelve seasons.

2023: ECHL Affiliate

Since the 2023–24 season, the Jacksonville Icemen have been the Buffalo Sabres' ECHL affiliate.

April 16, 2024: Head Coach Fired

On April 16, 2024, one day after the final game of the season, head coach Granato was fired, marking his ousting as the seventh coach the Sabres have employed since the playoff drought began.

April 22, 2024: Lindy Ruff Named Head Coach

The Buffalo Sabres named Lindy Ruff head coach on April 22, 2024. He returned for a second tenure with the team.

2024: Losing Streak

In the 2024–25 season, after beginning the season 11–9–1, the Sabres went on a 13-game losing streak.

April 8, 2025: Missed Postseason Potential

On April 8, 2025, the Buffalo Sabres were eliminated from postseason potential for the 14th time.

May 2025: Jarmo Kekalainen Added as Senior Advisor

In May 2025, the Buffalo Sabres added Jarmo Kekalainen to the front office as a senior adviser.

July 1, 2025: Date Updated

Information updated on July 1, 2025.

September 2026: Lease Expiration

In September 2026, the government of Erie County announced plans to end its 30-year operational lease of KeyBank Center, ostensibly placing the arena into the responsibility of the city of Buffalo.