The Sabres have had two homes since they joined the NHL in 1970, both in downtown Buffalo: Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, known as the Aud, until 1996, and the arena that replaced it, now called KeyBank Center.
Here is every home in order, with the years the Sabres played there, what made each one matter and what stands on the site today. Each arena links to our full guide.
Every Sabres Arena, 1970 to Today
- Buffalo
1970–1996The Aud opened in 1940. After the Sabres' first season the roof was raised 24 feet to add an upper deck. It hosted the 1975 Fog Game in the Stanley Cup Final. The last Sabres game was on April 14, 1996.
Today: Demolished in 2009; the site is now part of Canalside, where a marker on the canal ice shows where center ice was
Stadium history →- 1996–presentCurrent home
Opened September 21, 1996 as Marine Midland Arena, then HSBC Arena (2000) and First Niagara Center (2011). A 2025 naming deal keeps the Sabres here through the 2035–36 season.
Visiting guide →
Sabres Arena FAQ
Where did the Sabres play before KeyBank Center?
At Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, from their first game in October 1970 until April 14, 1996, when they beat the Hartford Whalers 4–1 in the building’s last Sabres game.
How many arenas have the Sabres had?
Two: Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (1970–1996) and KeyBank Center (1996–present), which has also been called Marine Midland Arena, HSBC Arena and First Niagara Center.
What was the Fog Game?
Game 3 of the 1975 Stanley Cup Final against the Philadelphia Flyers. Buffalo was unusually hot that May and the Aud had no air conditioning, so fog formed over the ice and parts of the game were played with the puck hard to see. Sabres center Jim Lorentz swung at a bat flying over the rink and killed it with his stick, and the Sabres won in overtime.
Is the Aud still standing?
No. It closed in 1996, sat empty for years and was demolished in 2009. The site became part of Canalside, where the old canals were dug out again and are frozen for skating in winter, with a marker on the ice where center ice used to be.
Where do the Sabres play now?
At KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo. It opened in 1996 and seats 19,070. A naming deal signed in 2025 keeps the Sabres there through the 2035–36 season.