Sabres Draw the Line After Canadiens Crowd Takeover: “We Don’t Want to See That Kind of Red Again”
Rasmus Dahlin didn’t hold back. After the Buffalo Sabres dropped a home game to the Montreal Canadiens, the captain voiced what plenty of Sabres fans were already thinking: Why did it feel like an away game in our own building?
“I really, really appreciate the fans that came out,” Dahlin said postgame. “But I don't want to see that many red in the future.”
That sea of Canadiens jerseys inside KeyBank Center clearly struck a nerve - not just with Dahlin, but with the Sabres organization as a whole. And now, the front office is taking action.
Sabres Front Office Steps In
Pete Guelli, the team’s chief operating officer, echoed Dahlin’s sentiment and made it clear this wasn’t going to be brushed aside. Speaking to The Buffalo News, Guelli said the franchise is actively working on ways to prevent visiting fanbases from taking over their home ice - and they’re willing to get creative.
“I can't agree with Rasmus more,” Guelli said. “We don't want to see that kind of red in our building ever again. The fans don't want to come in here to see that and engage with that.”
One tactic on the table? ZIP code-based ticket restrictions - a strategy that’s been used by other teams across pro sports to help preserve home-ice (or home-field) advantage. The idea is simple: limit ticket sales for high-profile games to residents of specific regions, ideally favoring the local fanbase.
It’s not a perfect system, and it won’t keep every opposing fan out, but it’s a step toward making sure the Sabres’ players - and their fans - aren’t outnumbered in their own barn.
Timing Is Everything
The Sabres are hoping to have some of these measures in place by the time the team returns from the NHL’s Olympic break. And there’s a reason for urgency: Buffalo is right in the thick of the playoff hunt.
After a blistering 21-5-2 run leading into the break, the Sabres sit in the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, holding a five-point cushion over the ninth-place Columbus Blue Jackets. For a franchise that hasn’t seen playoff hockey since 2011, this stretch of success is more than just a hot streak - it’s a potential turning point.
“We want to make sure our players feel the home-ice advantage when they come back,” Guelli said. “And make sure our fans are able to impact those games because they are so critical.”
A Long Road Back to Respectability
Let’s be honest - for over a decade, the Sabres were stuck in a cycle of disappointment, frustration, and missed opportunities. The NHL-record 14-year playoff drought speaks for itself.
But this year feels different. The team is winning, the fans are engaged, and the building - when packed with blue and gold - can be a real weapon.
“This arena has turned into a massive home-ice advantage for this team, and we want to continue to grow that,” Guelli said. “This should be the toughest place to play in the National Hockey League, and we're not going to rest until it is.”
That’s the kind of mindset fans in Western New York have been waiting to hear for years.
The Real Test: March 14 vs. Toronto
While the Sabres’ first three games after the break are on the road, the real litmus test for Guelli’s plan comes on March 14, when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit KeyBank Center. If there’s one team that’s consistently brought a massive traveling fanbase to Buffalo, it’s the Leafs. For over a decade, those games have felt like neutral-site matchups - or worse, road games in disguise.
That’s the night to circle. If Buffalo can keep the blue-and-white wave at bay and turn the building into a true Sabres stronghold, it’ll be a clear sign that things are changing - not just on the ice, but in the culture around the franchise.
Playoff Push Starts at Home
There’s no way to completely shut out opposing fans, especially with a passionate, mobile hockey base like Toronto’s just a short drive away. But limiting their presence?
Making sure your own players don’t feel like visitors in their own arena? That’s a battle worth fighting.
Buffalo’s playoff hopes are alive and well, but every edge matters. Home-ice advantage isn’t just about the boards and the benches - it’s about the energy, the noise, the lift that comes from 18,000 fans pulling in the same direction.
The Sabres are finally giving their fans something to believe in. Now, they’re making sure those fans are the ones filling the seats when it matters most.