Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The National Hockey League announced the home openers for all 32 teams on Wednesday, with the Buffalo Sabres set to kick off their home slate at KeyBank Center on Saturday, Oct. 3 against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, October 3rd for a 7 p.m. faceoff.
Excluding the 2024-25 season when the Sabres opened their regular season overseas in Czechia, this will be the first time since the 2019-20 season where Buffalo will not start the regular season on home ice. Buffalo is slated to open the year on the road in Columbus when they face the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m.
The home opener, though, will mark a special return for defenseman Bowen Byram and winger Jordan Greenway, who will play their former team for the first time since this offseason's trade to Chicago just before the 2026 NHL Draft. The deal helped land Buffalo a package that included defenseman Louis Crevier and the fourth overall pick in Round 1 that ended up being defenseman Daxon Rudolph.
The Sabres' full 2026-27 regular season schedule will be released on Thursday, July 16 at 1 p.m. with the rest of the league.
