Gary Bettman hints at when the Buffalo Sabres might get another outdoor game

The Buffalo Sabres made NHL history when they were part of the first Winter Classic in league history back in 2008. They would play the Pittsburgh Penguins in what was Ralph Wilson Stadium (and is now Highmark Stadium).

The Penguins would go on to win that game by a final score of 2-1, which ended in a shootout, and while Buffalo seems like the perfect location to have these outdoor games, they have not had one in Buffalo since. They did play in another outdoor game back in 2018 against the New York Rangers, which was a game they lost by a final score of 3-2 in overtime.

Could Buffalo Sabres get another outdoor game on the 20th anniversary of the Winter Classic?

The Buffalo Sabres opened their regular season on Thursday night against the New York Rangers, unfortunately losing by a final score of 4-0, but did have NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in attendance. After the second period, he met with the media and was asked about the possibility of having another Winter Classic in Buffalo.

While he didn't want to make any promises and made it clear this was not an announcement, he did say it is a possibility in the near future. He specifically mentioned maybe doing something around the 20th anniversary, which would mean the outdoor game would be during the 2027-28 season.

The storyline writes itself as the Buffalo Sabres were part of the first game and would be a great way to remember that moment with the game 20 years later. It also would make a lot of sense as the Buffalo Bills will have their new stadium completed by then, and it would be a great environment to have

The biggest hurdle could certainly be scheduling, as the Bills are much better than they were in 2008 and are now consistently playing playoff games at home in January. They would certainly have some time to work out the logistics, but it seems that there will be outdoor hockey for Sabres fans to watch in the near future.