The Top Five Changes I Want to See the Buffalo Sabres Make

Provide More Value for Fans’ Dollars

Mar 21, 2013; Buffalo, NY, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs fans during the game against the Buffalo Sabres at the First Niagara Center. Sabres beat the Leafs 5-4 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Watching the Sabres-Leafs game from last week, I was both livid and embarrassed by the number of Maple Leafs fans I saw in attendance in the First Niagara Center.   I don’t care how bad the Buffalo Sabres are (and I would argue that they are clearly playing better hockey than even two weeks ago) – the team shouldn’t have to play a home ice game with an away-game atmosphere, especially when the visiting fans are known for their immature behavior.

I understand that one way to keep Buffalo fans from hawking their tickets on Stub Hub is to create a solid, playoff-bound team; winning cures a lot of ills.  Even so, the Sabres’ organization needs to do more in order to make fans want to come to games, even when the franchise is in the middle of a rebuild.   Affordable ticket prices is just part of  the approach; the Sabres need to ramp up the PR campaign and hold more special events, and hand out free merchandise that is better than the glow sticks they handed out for last year’s opening night.  Have more “Meet the Players” events, for example, or . . . .

Hey – I’m sure if I had time, I could brainstorm 20+ promotional events that the franchise could use to keep fans coming in – but I’m not employed by the team, so I’m not doing their work for them!  Still – the city of Buffalo is lucky to have two professional sports franchises.  This organization needs to find ways to make fans proud of what they have, and keep them packing the joint game after game.