Sabres set ticket-sale record Sunday

The Buffalo Sabres are again a hot ticket in Western New York.

The Sabres announced Monday that they sold 31,213 tickets for the 2012-13 season on Sunday during a 24-hour pre-sale period for current season-ticket holders and current mini-pack holders. The amount sold sets a club record for single-day ticket sales -- excluding sales on the first day of availability for the 2008 NHL Winter Classic.

Individual game tickets will be available for the general public beginning Tuesday at 10 a.m.

"With the uncertainty surrounding the schedule and the timing of the start of hockey, we didn't know what to expect," Sabres President Ted Black said in a statement released by the team. "However, Sunday's ticket sales took us by surprise and, frankly, blew us away.

"Our box office staff is the best in the business and they worked tirelessly all day, fielding more than 800 phone calls, to keep up with the record volume of orders. The extraordinary fan response makes us humble, grateful and even more committed to our core mission. We can't wait to drop the puck before a full house."