Buffalo Sabres 2024-25 Schedule Highlights

The Sabres will open the season in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct. 4 with a game against Lindy Ruff’s former club, the New Jersey Devils, at 02 Arena and close out the international trip the following day with another game against the Metropolitan Division club.

Buffalo’s home opener at KeyBank Center will be against the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 10, less than a week after the Sabres return from Europe, and their final game will be in front of their home fans with the Philadelphia Flyers in town on April 17.

Several home games are scheduled, starting Saturday, Oct. 26 against the Detroit Red Wings at 1 p.m. Others will be Saturday, Nov. 9 against the Calgary Flames, Monday, Nov. 11 against Montreal and Dec. 7 against Utah. The Sabres will also host the Minnesota Wild on Thanksgiving Eve and will be at home two days after Christmas.

Here’s a look at the rest of the schedule, including games and away games to watch:

Toronto Maple Leafs, KeyBank Center, December 20 and April 15: Another Atlantic Division team trying to be more physical and defensively stout, the Maple Leafs fired Sheldon Keefe and hired former Blues coach Craig Berube to try to push the team deeper into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll see what the rivalry looks like with the Sabres’ revamped fourth line and a different mindset with Ruff as coach. Buffalo went 2-1-1 in four meetings against Toronto last season, capped by a 2-1 overtime loss the day Casey Mittelstadt was traded.

Florida Panthers at home, October 12 and 28: The Sabres despise the Panthers. Matthew Tkachuk still does his best to irritate Buffalo’s goalie, tapping the puck on the whistle or stopping abruptly near the net to spray ice everywhere. Florida lost key players in free agency — including fourth-line scourge Ryan Lomberg — but Buffalo will be more motivated than ever to finally get a win. The loss in Sunrise last season that saw Don Granato take an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty bothered the players more than a typical setback. Former Sabre Sam Reinhart has had their number since his departure and signed an eight-year contract after winning the Stanley Cup.

Detroit Red Wings at home, October 26 and December 9: If the Sabres are to end that drought next season, they’ll need to do better against the Red Wings, who are among the Atlantic Division teams trying to upset the balance of power in the Eastern Conference. South Buffalo’s Patrick Kane returned to Detroit on a one-year deal, which should help make the Red Wings a popular choice to return to the playoffs. Buffalo’s 4-1 loss in Detroit last March ended their faint hopes of reaching the postseason and was another reminder that the Sabres need a better defensive structure if they’re going to take the next step.

Ottawa Senators at home, November 5 and March 25: The Sabres don’t like Brady Tkachuk. Like his brother in Florida, he’s an exceptional player who’s also a riot and a physical presence. The Senators should look different next season with new coach Travis Green, starting goaltender Linus Ullmark and a new defensive combination with the addition of Nick Jensen in a trade that sent Jakub Chychrun to the Washington Capitals.

Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights return to Buffalo on March 15: The former Sabres captain had another impressive, if injury-shortened, regular season before the Golden Knights were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The scene at KeyBank Center has been electric during Eichel’s previous visits, filled with boos and chants as fans clamored for Buffalo to send Eichel home disgruntled. Former Sabres winger Victor Olofsson has also reportedly signed with the Golden Knights to reunite with his former linemate.

Zemgus Girgensons returns to Buffalo for the first time with the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 5: The Sabres veteran signed a three-year contract with their Atlantic Division rival on Monday in an attempt to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in his 10-year NHL career. He’s part of a new-look Tampa Bay team that lost former captain Steven Stamkos to the Nashville Predators as a free agent but added accomplished winger Jake Guentzel.

Mittelstadt makes his first trip to Buffalo with the Colorado Avalanche on December 3: It will be a reunion for defenseman Bowen Byram, who the Sabres acquired in a blockbuster trade and won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. Colorado signed Mittelstadt to a contract extension before the NHL draft and continues to build out its roster around Nathan MacKinnon. The Sabres have lost nine of their last 11 meetings against the Avalanche.

Jeff Skinner and Connor McDavid with the Edmonton Oilers, March 10: It was inevitable, once the Sabres acquired Skinner, that the former 40-goal scorer would choose a team with which he could finally get a shot at the playoffs and a shot at winning the Stanley Cup. Oilers chief hockey officer Jeff Jackson told reporters after Skinner signed a one-year deal with Edmonton that the 32-year-old winger would be a top-six prospect, slotting him alongside either McDavid or Leon Draisaitl.

Rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini appears at KeyBank Center for the first time with the San Jose Sharks on March 4: The 2024 first-round pick hasn’t confirmed whether he plans to turn pro or return to Boston University for his sophomore year, but the Sharks’ free agency strategy — highlighted by the addition of scoring winger Tyler Toffoli — indicates general manager Mike Grier expects the dynamic center to be on their roster in the fall.

Connor Bedard finally faces the Sabres in Buffalo on December 27: It was a shame for Blackhawks fans and admirers of top talent that Bedard couldn’t play at KeyBank Center last season because of a broken jaw. Most of those who bought tickets did so to see the 2023 No. 1 overall pick. His team could also be more competitive. The Blackhawks used free agency to add veteran wingers Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen.

Juraj Slafkovsky leads the Montreal Canadiens against the Sabres in Buffalo, November 11 and March 1: The 2022 first-overall pick took a leap forward last season, scoring 20 goals and 50 points in 82 games. The 6-foot-3 power forward looked stronger and more confident. His potential began to shine as he learned to create scoring chances from the middle of the offensive zone. The Canadiens are unlikely to be good, however, as general manager Kent Hughes is slow to rebuild.

Jack Hughes faces his former coach, Ruff, for the first time in Buffalo on February 2:The New Jersey Devils center enjoyed playing for Ruff and used their three seasons together to learn the finer points needed to win in the NHL. Hughes battled injuries for most of last season, when he scored 27 goals and 74 points. This is also a big game for Ruff, who the Devils released in March despite having an imperfect roster that included terrible goaltending.

Alex Ovechkin continues his quest for Wayne Gretzky’s goalscoring record on January 6: Ovechkin has 41 goals and 68 points in 65 career games against the Sabres. The Capitals should improve next season with their offseason additions.

First trip to Utah, March 20: The Sabres will face the recently relocated Utah Hockey Club at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Their opponent should be much better than last season, when Buffalo struggled against the team formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes. Utah overhauled its blue line by acquiring Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino.

The Sabres face Bedard in Chicago on October 19: The atmosphere at the United Center was among the best in the NHL when the Blackhawks were competitive, and the fans are still there despite the team’s struggles as it rebuilds around Bedard.

Other notable trips: California will make stops in Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose from Nov. 20-23; the lone game in Toronto will be Dec. 15 at 5 p.m., the same day the Bills play the Lions in Detroit; the Pacific Northwest with stops in Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton from Jan. 20-25; and the road trip will take in Florida to face the Panthers and Lightning from April 10-12.

The only other regular-season clash between the Bills and Sabres will come on Dec. 29, when the Sabres face the Blues in St. Louis and the Bills host the Jets.