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nificant. Well, the Sabres kicked down the door following a slow start and enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in franchise history. Center Tage Thompson, who won a gold medal with the U.S. Men's Olympic Ice Hockey Team, scored 40 goals. On Dec. 9, when they began their 10-game win streak, the Sabres ranked last in the Eastern Conference. They finished the regular season on a stunning 39-9-5 tear. In notching 50 victories, winning the Atlantic Division and advancing to the second round of the postseason for the first time 19 years, the Sabres ignited a rabid fan base itching for something to cheer about and reminded the hockey world Buffalo is a special market. P r i o r t o G a m e 1 a g a i n st t h e B r u i n s, Key B a n k C e n t e r wa s f u l l a n d b u z z i n g with excitement long before the pregame warm-up began. The positive energy and pride the Sabres created engulfed western New York. Fans hung flags from porches and cars. Lawn signs were everywhere. Seemingly everyone sported the team's gear. A group of fans who wore roller blades, full equipment and Sabres jerseys known as "The Blade Gang " became a sensation outside of the rink. Sabres winger Josh Doan said he loved seeing a cutout of Thompson celebrating a goal attached to the Thompson Road sign in nearby Clarence. Not surprisingly, the Sabres' success has translated into more people wanting to play hockey. Ed Grudzinski, the Sabres' director of youth hockey, said they've seen enrollment go up across the on- and off-ice programs they run at local schools. Jureller said a month before their Street Hockey Fest in September, all 80 spots had been filled. In 2025, they were calling around the week of the tournament trying to find teams. "Everybody kind of knew that there would be a great deal of enthusiasm when we finally k i n d o f b r o ke t h r o u g h t h a t threshold, but … you could feel it before that," Sabres goalie Alex Lyon said. "I said it a mil- lion times last year, and I'll say it again, it's incumbent on us to put a product out there that people want to cheer for." The Sabres, of course, significant- ly raised expectations last sea- son. Simply making the playoffs will no longer suffice; they're expected to contend for the Cup this season. "We're in a spot where there is a little bit of expectation now from ourselves, from the city, from around the league, in a way, as everyone's kind of waiting to see what we can do and the steps that our team can make considering we were so young last year," Doan said. "Our group's pretty con- fident in that we're a better team heading into this year." "That's all we can focus on and control." P PHOTOS BY Getty Images OCTOBER 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 47 Alex Lyon won 20 games last season for the Sabres with a .907 save percentage. JOSH NORRIS I said it a million times last year, and I' ll say it again, it's incumbent on us to put a product out there that people want to cheer for."–Alex Lyon ALEX LYON WATCH: Behind The Scenes: Buffalo Sabres' First Stanley Cup Playoff Game in 15 Years