Sabres can host limited fans starting later this month

It was announced yesterday by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo that sports arenas and entertainment venues that have a capacity of over 10,000 can operate at 10% capacity starting later this month. So this includes concert venues and sports arenas such as Madison Square Garden, the Barclays Center, and, yes, KeyBank Center. So Buffalo Sabres fans could soon be able to enjoy some live hockey from KeyBank Center.

Governor Cuomo gave the green light for any large arena to re-open to the public on February 23rd. KeyBank Center holds just over 19,000 people, so under these new guidelines, they could host just over 1,900 fans each game.

The Sabres are taking all the precautions they need to host fans safely, even in a small amount. They have placed signs up around the inside of the arena encouraging fans to follow the safety guidelines.

Season ticket holders will have priority on tickets for games allowing fans in Buffalo, much like how the Buffalo Bills handled their ticket distribution strategy for their two home playoff games. But there will be no seating in the 100 level behind the benches due to the NHL’s safety protocol, and the Sabres are still determining whether to use the luxury boxes or not. The concession policies are still up in the air.

With the Sabres currently still on a COVID pause, it is not certain when they will return to playing games. The next game that Buffalo has scheduled is Monday, February 15th against the New York Islanders at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. But as we have seen, the schedule can change very quickly.

The first home game that the Sabres have after the date when stadiums can open up is February 25th against the Devils. Buffalo currently has 18 home games scheduled after the date where fans are allowed into games.

It will be nice for Buffalo to have a crowd, even if it is a small one. Having the fans back can lead to a little bit of home-ice advantage, and even that can provide a spark for a team that needs one.