NYT Mini Crossword: “Buffalo hockey player” clue explained — plus quick tips for Mini answers
If you bumped into the NYT Mini clue “Buffalo hockey player” this weekend and stalled, you’re not alone. The clean, 5-letter answer is SABRE — the singular for a player on the Buffalo Sabres. It’s a tidy bit of sports-name grammar the Mini loves to use: the team is plural Sabres, but a single athlete is a Sabre.
Why “SABRE” fits the NYT Mini so well
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Letter count: The Mini posts the exact length you need. “SABRE” (5) locks in neatly.
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Singular vs. plural trap: Many solvers try SABRES (6) and get stuck. The clue says “player,” not “team,” so go singular.
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Variant spelling isn’t a trick: American spelling of the sword is usually saber, but Buffalo’s NHL franchise uses the British-leaning Sabre/Sabres. Crossword editors lean into the franchise spelling to steer you to the sports answer, not the weapon.
Mini crossword tactics for sports team clues
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Read number carefully. “Player” cues singular; “team member” often still signals singular; “team” or a nickname without “player” usually wants the plural nickname.
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Think nicknames, not cities. The grid rarely accepts “BUFFALO” for a player clue; it wants the nickname in singular: Sabre, Ranger, Islander, Senator, etc.
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Use crosses early. Even two letters—S _ B _ E—make SABRE pop, eliminating look-alikes like saber.
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Mind U.S./Canada leagues. Minis pull from NHL, NBA, MLB, NFL. If the city has multiple pro teams, check letter counts and crosses before committing.
Recent Mini patterns you can bank
The Mini often pairs a sports clue like “Buffalo hockey player” with straightforward, high-confidence entries elsewhere in the grid (think USUAL, MAGMA, ADAPT). Those give you fast crosses to confirm tougher proper nouns or variant spellings. When you see a tidy theme day (holidays, seasonal words, travel), expect one or two clean sports demonyms to balance the grid.
Handy reference: NHL city → singular player form
| City/Team | Singular player you’ll see in grids |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | Sabre |
| New York Rangers | Ranger |
| New York Islanders | Islander |
| Ottawa Senators | Senator |
| Detroit Red Wings | Red Wing |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Maple Leaf |
| Montreal Canadiens | Canadien (note the -ien ending) |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Penguin |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Blackhawk |
| New Jersey Devils | Devil |
Tip: Some team names don’t pluralize like normal words (e.g., Maple Leafs), and a few are collective nouns (e.g., Minnesota Wild). When the singular is awkward in real life, the Mini may avoid it—or use a different angle altogether.
Mini-solving checklist (60 seconds or less)
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Scan for the gimme. Short, everyday words (USUAL, ELATE, RAMPS) seed your first crosses.
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Drop the sports demonym. With one or two crosses, SABRE/RANGER/ISLANDER usually resolves instantly.
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Lock the corners. The Mini’s 5×5 grid means one corner solved can complete a whole row or column.
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Don’t overthink theme days. Seasonal entries add flavor, but cluing stays fair—trust the letter counts.
Quick FAQ
What’s the answer to “Buffalo hockey player”?
SABRE (singular member of the Buffalo Sabres).
Why not “saber”?
The franchise name uses Sabre/Sabres, and the clue context points to the team, not the sword.
How do I tell if the puzzle wants singular or plural?
Watch the noun in the clue: “player,” “skater,” “teammate” → singular; “team,” “players,” “NHLers” → plural.
Do Minis ever use city names instead?
Occasionally, but sports-player clues almost always want the nickname in the correct number.
