One of the most frustrating aspects of going to a Sabres game at the KeyBank Center over the past few seasons has been the stale, uninspired game day presentation. Every game felt the same, there were few if any promotions offered to fans, and the KBC generally had the feel of a public library most nights.
The fact that the team on the ice was generally uninspiring didn’t help either.
But this season, the team seems to have listened to the concerns of its fan base, and is taking some small steps towards improvement, both in the arena and in their ticketing strategy.
Game Day Changes
On game nights, some old fan favorites will be brought back – the giant Sabres flag that used to be passed around the crowd will return, and more of a focus will be put on old-school entertainment in between gameplay, specifically more organ and less DJ.
I’m also excited to announce that I will be the organist at all of our @BuffaloSabres home games for the upcoming season! @organistalert
— Curtis Cook (@sabresorgan) August 23, 2017
A new One Buffalo Street Team has also been announced, that will travel around the arena to “interact with fans and enhance their game-night experience.”
The Sabres will be helping you get your food and drink faster next season, and will be implementing both a “line time indicator” and the ability to pre-order concessions from your seat from specific concession stands through a soon-to-be-revamped My One Buffalo app. The new app will also include yet-unannounced improvements and “great benefits” for fans both in the arena and watching at home.
The lack of giveaways and promotional nights has long been a frustration for many of us, and the Sabres are responding by offering eight giveaway nights and some number of promotional nights, which will be announced in September before individual game tickets go on sale.
Ticketing Changes
Speaking of individual game tickets, a number of improvements will make it easier, and potentially cheaper, to buy them. The cheapest level of 300 tickets (of which I have fond memories of from my school days) will start at $25 if you buy them in a mini-pack, which incidentally, have also been revamped so that all tickets are the same cost in your pack regardless of night or ticket tier (Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc.)
The team will also be offering a monthly ticket subscription service for $89, though no details have been offered yet as to how many tickets you get per month or restrictions on certain nights or tiers.
Individual game tickets go on sale September 16 to the general public, or two days earlier for My One Buffalo app users and Sabres Insiders (hint, hint.)