BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Synch your calendars Sabres fans. A new slate of games has been etched in ice. [See full schedule below]
The Sabres will begin the season Oct. 4-5 in Prague, Czechia with games against coach Lindy Ruff's former team the New Jersey Devils, and Ruff will be behind home bench at Buffalo's downtown arena for the first time over a decade when the Sabres play the Los Angeles Kings in their first game of the season at KeyBank Center on Oct. 10.
The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will visit Buffalo early in the season on Oct. 28.
Buffalo's longest homestand is five games from Dec. 3-11, while concludes a stretch of 15 in 22 games at KeyBank Center during the early months of the season. The Sabres will be home for Thanksgiving weekend, hosting the Minnesota Wild the night before and the Vancouver Canucks on Black Friday. The Sabres will play in Dallas on New Year's Eve.
There are no road trips longer than four games, and the Sabres will do that four times — Nov. 16-23, Dec. 29-Jan. 4, Jan. 20-25, March 17-23 — mostly for late-starting matchups out west. That includes the team's first trip to Utah on March 20.
The season concludes with home games at the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 15 and Philadelphia Flyers on April 17.
Will there be playoff hockey in Buffalo after that?
Friday, Oct. 4 vs. New Jersey Devils in Prague, Czechia, 1 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 5 vs. New Jersey Devils in Prague, Czechia, 10 a.m.
Thursday, Oct. 10 vs. L.A. Kings, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 12 vs. Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 16 at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 17 at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 19 at Chicago Blackhawks, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 22 vs. Dallas Stars, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 26 vs. Detroit Red Wings, 1 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 28 vs. Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 1 vs. New York Islanders, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 2 at Detroit Red Wings, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 5 vs. Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 7 at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 9 vs. Calgary Flames, 1 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 11 vs. Montreal Canadiens, 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 14 vs. St. Louis Blues, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 16 at Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 20 at L.A. Kings, 10:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22 at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23 at San Jose Sharks, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 27 vs. Minnesota Wild, 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 29 vs. Vancouver Canucks, 3 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30 vs. New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 3 vs. Colorado Avalanche, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 5 vs. Winnipeg Jets, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7 vs. Utah Hockey Club, 1 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 9 vs. Detroit Red Wings, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 11 vs. New York Rangers, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14 at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 15 at Toronto Maple Leafs, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 20 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Saturday, Dec. 21 at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 23 at New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 27 vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 29 at St. Louis Blues, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 31 at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 2 at Colorado Avalanche, 9 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 4 at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 6 vs. Washington Capitals, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 9 at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 11 vs. Seattle Kraken, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 15 vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 6 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 17 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 20 at Seattle Kraken, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 21 at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 23 at Calgary Flames, 9 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 25 at Edmonton Oilers, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 28 vs. Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 31 vs. Nashville Predators, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 2 vs. New Jersey Devils, 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 4 vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 8 at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 22 vs. New York Rangers, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 25 vs. Anaheim Ducks, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 27 at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 vs. Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Monday, March 3 at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, March 4 vs. San Jose Sharks, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 6 at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 8 at Florida Panthers, 6 p.m.
Monday, March 10 vs. Edmonton Oilers, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 12 at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 15 vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 12:30 p.m.
Monday, March 17 at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 20 at Utah Hockey Club, 9 p.m.
Saturday, March 22 at Minnesota Wild, 2 p.m.
Sunday, March 23 at Winnipeg Jets, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25 vs. Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 27 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 29 at Philadelphia Flyers, 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 30 at Washington Capitals, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, April 1 at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 5 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 6 vs. Boston Bruins, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, April 8 vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 10 at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 12 at Florida Panthers, 6 p.m.
Sunday, April 13 at Tampa Bay Lightning, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, April 15 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 17 vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.