When Jiri Kulich buried his game-winning goal late in the third period, it was hard to hear yourself think at KeyBank Center.
The roar, quite frankly, gave him goosebumps.
“It was so loud,” Kulich said. “I was kind of nervous, playing (in front of) this home crowd after a year.”
It’s been five months in the making, but Buffalo hockey is back.
A sellout crowd of 19,070 packed into the Sabres’ barn for Buffalo’s 2026-27 home opener, making it the 26th straight sellout including last year’s playoffs. Saturday’s game, truth be told, didn’t feel like an October regular season game.
“Awesome,” coach Lindy Ruff said postgame. “Great reception. … For the fans to show up the way they did – incredible. And it was great to answer the call late and get the group that was here tonight a win.”
More than five hours before Kulich potted the game-winner and completed Buffalo’s 4-3 comeback win over the Chicago Blackhawks, hundreds of Sabres fans gathered in the Ticketmaster Alumni Plaza, bolstering the barricades of the Blue & Gold Carpet in hopes of catching a glimpse or an autograph from their favorite players.
One fan with an Owen Power University of Michigan jersey in her clutch grinned madly upon receiving his signature, while others’ faces dripped with face paint, donning blue and gold from head to toe.
Few seemed to be cheering louder, though, than one small Buffalo fan donning a Tage Thompson sweater, a Sabres emblem on a chain, blue and gold socks and a small foam finger. Brynn, 6, proudly showcased her many signatures – and her rabid Sabres fandom.
“We got a lot of tickets,” she said. “42 tickets!”
For 42 games, that is – Brynn and her mom, Amanda, are among the new Sabres season ticket holders welcomed to KeyBank Center this season. They are part of a record-breaking sellout of season tickets – Buffalo had to cap its 42-game plans at 14,000 and has a waitlist for those would couldn’t snag them the first time around.
Pick a point in Saturday’s game – even when Buffalo fell in a 2-0 hole early, or down 3-2 in the third period – and deafening ‘let’s go Buffalo’ chants could be heard bellowing throughout the building.
After Rasmus Dahlin tied the game up in the third period, and before Kulich finished the rest – he could feel it.
“The crowd got going, so that that helped us,” said captain Rasmus Dahlin. “I think that was the main thing, the whole arena – you feel like something was going to happen. ... It was good to turn things around and make the city happy.”
Saturday should only be the start of it. The home opener victory marked the first of five straight games at KeyBank Center, keeping the Sabres comfortable in their own abode – and in front of their rabid fans.
"We'll take it one game at a time, but obviously an important stretch for us," Ruff said before the game Saturday.
“It’s nice to be in a familiar environment playing in front of your home crowd,” added Tage Thompson after practice Friday. “It’ll be a good way for us to build some positive momentum to start the season off on the right foot.”
Here are the sights and sounds from the Sabres’ home opener:
