Could we see some outdoor Sabres games this year?

Some NHL teams are considering playing some home games outdoors this season. If the Buffalo Sabres choose to do this, where should they play?

A recent rumor has surfaced that multiple NHL teams are discussing the possibility to play some outdoor home games this season. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that four teams are looking into this as a possibility. He reports the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are all looking into this idea. This got me thinking about if the Buffalo Sabres decided to do this, where would they choose to play their games?

Having games at Bills Stadium would be the most obvious choice. Bills Stadium has already hosted a Sabres home game, as it was the host of the inaugural NHL Winter Classic in 2008. This is the biggest outdoor sports facility in the Buffalo area that could host some Sabres games this season if they choose to do so. Bills Stadium would also provide professional-level amenities, such as locker rooms, as the Bills are the only other top-level professional sports team in Buffalo.

But there could be some roadblocks that could prevent the Sabres from playing some outdoor games at Bills Stadium, as there is the potential for a scheduling conflict. The Bills are on pace to not only make the playoffs, but to have a home playoff game.

The first round of the playoffs for the NFL is set to start on January 9th, which is right around when the NHL is looking to start their season. But this doesn’t mean that the Sabres can’t play some games there later in the season. And obviously, the Bills will have priority to play in their stadium over the Sabres.

However, there are a couple of other choices Buffalo could make if they do want to play some outdoor home games this season. One of which is Sahlen Field, the home of the triple-A baseball affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Buffalo Bisons.

This stadium played host for the Blue Jays during this past MLB season as the Blue Jays played all their home games in the United States. This stadium obviously would not have all the top-level amenities that Bills Stadium would have, but it is a lot closer to KeyBank Center and the Harborcenter, so it could make for a convenient place to play.

One more potential “home away from home” that the Sabres could use for some outdoor hockey is University at Buffalo Stadium. This is the home of the Buffalo Bulls college football team. If the Sabres would like to use a football field but are unable to play at the Bills Stadium, this could be a perfect secondary option.

Buffalo has not come up in talks about having some outdoor home games this year. But if more teams start to look into it, we could see it potentially come up. I think it could be a fun aspect of a very “non-normal” NHL season.