The Buffalo Sabres will open their 2026-27 home schedule against the Chicago Blackhawks on October 3 at KeyBank Center, beginning a five-game homestand in front of a crowd that helped make the building a tough place to play last season.
The game comes after Buffalo started the season with a 6-3 loss in Columbus on Thursday, but it also arrives with a much different backdrop than the team had a year ago. The Sabres will play under a new 2025-26 Atlantic Division Champions banner, a reminder of the drought-ending run that earned them a place atop the division.
Tage Thompson said the banner should serve as a useful reminder for the group. “I think it will be a good reminder for us of how hard it was to get to that point,” Thompson said. He added that last year’s success does not make anything easier now. “It’s not going to be an easy ride this year by any means just because we made it last year. It will be even harder. I think the group’s excited and ready for the challenge ahead. Just take it a game at a time.”
That message fits the tone around the Sabres early in the season. Lindy Ruff said the team will continue to approach the schedule with patience, while also recognizing the importance of the stretch ahead. “We’ll take it one game at a time, but obviously an important stretch for us,” Ruff said.
What fans should know for Blackhawks vs Sabres
The game is set for 7 p.m., with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. on TV through MSG and on streaming via DAZN. It will be the first of two five-game homestands for Buffalo this season, making the opening night matchup more than just a celebration of last year’s division title.
There is also a roster note to watch for Buffalo. Olen Zellweger, who was injured on Sept. 22 when Carson Soucy hit him during a preseason game, rejoined the team at practice on Friday for the first time since the concussion. That makes his status one of the details fans will follow closely as the Sabres settle into their first home stretch of the year.
With the home opener, the banner, and the start of a long homestand all arriving together, Buffalo gets an early chance to show that last season’s breakthrough is a starting point rather than an ending.
