The Buffalo Sabres announced their giveaway schedule for the 2025-26 NHL season on Tuesday. The team is giving fans a total of nine items if they visit the KeyBank Center on select nights throughout the campaign, which means 22% of the home games feature a giveaway.
Buffalo is also hosting a variety of theme nights throughout the season, starting with Buffalo Bills Night on Oct. 28. Those events don't come with a take-home item, but will feature special appearances and activities throughout the game.
Of course, the best gift the Sabres can deliver to fans in the coming months is a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Absent that, let's analyze the best giveaways of the season.
1. Tage Thompson Bobblehead
April 15 vs. Dallas Stars (Fan Appreciation Night)
Sabres fans won't get this one until the final home game of the regular season, but it'll be worth the wait. Maybe Tage will even be closing in on a 50-goal pursuit on the night it's being given away, which would make for an electric atmosphere in downtown Buffalo.
2. Sabretooth Building Block Set
Jan. 17 vs. Minnesota Wild (Kids Takeover Day)
Sabretooth is one of the most iconic mascots in the NHL, so it's no surprise he's got two different giveaways this season. The building block set (aka a Lego without the branding) is a perfect fit for the team's annual the Kids Day activities.
3. Holiday Sweater Jersey Ornament
Dec. 20 vs. New York Islanders (Home for the Holidays)
The Sabres have some of the best jerseys to ever grace the ice. Perhaps the best part of this giveaway is fans can either take it right home and put it on their Christmas tree, or wrap it up as a holiday gift for that tough-to-shop-for relative in Western New York.
4. Sabretooth Beanie Hat
Oct. 18 vs. Florida Panthers (Mascot Madness)
Some of Sabretooth's mascot friends will be in town for Buffalo's clash with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Assuming this is a well-made hat with a unique design, it'll probably become a gameday fan favorite as winter arrives to the 716.
5. Rasmus Dahlin Player Pin
Feb. 5 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Olympic Sendoff)
Dahlin is set to represent Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The Sabres will have a few other players, led by Team USA's Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch, who will be hoping to earn Olympic roster spots before the NHL takes a break.
6. Sabres Butter Dish
Nov. 23 vs. Carolina Hurricanes (Thanksgiving Celebration)
This has become a super popular giveaway for the Sabres in recent years, but the novelty has worn off a bit, which is why it's lower in the ranking. It's still a super cool item for Thanksgiving dinners on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border each year.
7. Performance Sunglasses
March 7 vs. Nashville Predators (Youth Hockey Day)
This giveaway could skyrocket up the list if they end up being high-quality sunglasses. More likely, it'll be a cheap plastic pair that breaks before the end of the first period. It's another cool idea for a day where a lot kids will be in the stands, though.
8. Hockey Fights Cancer Scarf
Nov. 1 vs. Washington Capitals (Hockey Fights Cancer Night)
This is always an emotional night at the KeyBank Center and the Sabres do a great job hosting the event. The scarf itself isn't the most exciting giveaway but you can never have enough of them for those cold, snowy Buffalo nights.
9. Commemorative Rally Towel
Oct. 9 vs. New York Rangers (Home Opener)
Every Buffalonian probably has at least 20 Bills or Sabres giveaway towels in their closet. Throw in the NLL's Bandits and minor league baseball's Bisons and the number might be 50. That doesn't mean they aren't cool, they just aren't an exciting gift.