Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550/WBEN) - We already knew the Buffalo Sabres were going to open the 2026-27 regular season on Thursday, Oct. 1 in Columbus against the Blue Jackets, and then host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, Oct. 3 for their home opener.
Now we know the Sabres' entire regular season schedule, as the National Hockey League released it full slate of games for the 2026-27 campaign.
The Sabres will open the season with a five-game homestand after the opening game on the road in Columbus, with games against the Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, Utah Mammoth and Florida Panthers.
Buffalo's game against the Panthers on Oct. 12 will be one of only five home afternoon games this season. Here is the full slate of afternoon games:
- Monday, Oct. 12: vs. Florida Panthers - 1 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 8: vs. Vegas Golden Knights - 3:30 p.m.
- Monday, Jan. 18: vs. Montreal Canadiens - 1 p.m.
- Saturday, March 6: vs. New York Rangers - 3 p.m.
- Saturday, March 20: vs. Florida Panthers - 1 p.m.
Buffalo will then close out the month of October with seven of the next eight games on the road. This includes an interesting scheduling quirk with a game in Montreal to play the Canadiens on Tuesday, Oct. 13, followed by a trip to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs on Thursday, Oct. 15, and then back to Montreal against the Canadiens on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Also in that stretch of road games is the team's annual California road trip against the San Jose Sharks (Tuesday, Oct. 27), Anaheim Ducks (Thursday, Oct. 29) and Los Angeles Kings (Saturday, Oct. 31).
Sandwiched in-between the games in Canada and out West will be Buffalo's first matchup against former winger Alex Tuch, when the Sabres travel to Washington to face the Capitals on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Tuch will make his one-and-only trip back to Buffalo this season on Thursday, March 18.
The Sabres will then return home for a four-game homestand, before embarking on a season-long six-game road trip with matchups against the Blackhawks (Thursday, Nov. 12), Stars (Saturday, Nov. 14), Philadelphia Flyers (Tuesday, Nov. 17), Capitals (Thursday, Nov. 19), Panthers (Saturday, Nov. 21) and Tampa Bay Lightning (Sunday, Nov. 22).
The annual day before Thanksgiving game this year will be against the Rangers on Nov. 25, while the day after Thanksgiving will feature a visit from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Buffalo Bills will host the Kansas City Chiefs at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
The Sabres will play three times this season on the same day the Bills will play, with the possibility of a fourth game in the final week of the NFL's regular season:
- Monday, Oct. 12: Sabres vs. Panthers (1 p.m.); Bills at Rams (8:20 p.m.)
- Sunday, Nov. 22: Bills vs. Dolphins (1 p.m.); Sabres at Lightning (5 p.m.)
- Sunday, Dec. 6: Bills at Patriots (4:25 p.m.); Sabres at Kraken (9 p.m.)
- Saturday, Jan. 9: Sabres vs. Hurricanes (7 p.m.); Bills vs. Jets (TBD)*
Buffalo will then open December with a four-game road trip to Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest, with games against the Edmonton Oilers (Tuesday, Dec. 1), Calgary Flames (Thursday, Dec. 3), Vancouver Canucks (Friday, Dec. 4) and Seattle Kraken (Sunday, Dec. 6).
Right after that road trip, Connor McDavid and the Oilers will make their annual appearance in Buffalo on Dec. 10.
Then starting Saturday, Jan. 9, the Sabres will begin the second of three five-game homestands this season, with games against the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils (Tuesday, Jan. 12), Colorado Avalanche (Thursday, Jan. 14), Nashville Predators (Saturday, Jan. 16) and the final game of the season against the Montreal Canadiens (Monday, Jan. 18).
This year's NHL All-Star break will last from Feb. 4 until Feb. 12, with the New York Islanders hosting this year's festivities on Feb. 5 and 6.
After the break, Buffalo will be on the road for five of the next six games, before returning home for the third and final five-game homestand of the season. This includes matchups with the Ottawa Senators (Friday, Feb. 26), Maple Leafs (Saturday, Feb. 27), Penguins (Tuesday, March 2), St. Louis Blues (Thursday, March 4) and Rangers (Saturday, March 6).
The Maple Leafs will also be in Buffalo for a matchup on Thursday, March 25.
The Sabres will finish the regular season slate in April with four of their last five on home ice. All five games will be against Atlantic Division rivals, starting with a home matchup with the Boston Bruins (Thursday, April 1), then the one road game in Toronto (Saturday, April 3), and then the final three games in Buffalo against the Lightning (Monday, April 5), Bruins (Wednesday, April 7) and Detroit Red Wings (Saturday, April 10).
In total, Buffalo has 14 back-to-back games this season.
