Sabres 2025-26 schedule: Opportunity for a hot start at home, plus more takeaways
Here's a full look at the schedule released Wednesday, with notes on some highlights of the Sabres' slate this season.
One step closer to hockey 🤩
Full schedule breakdown → https://t.co/14jLGwEFVf#LetsGoBuffalo | @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/C9eTqWaD7A
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) July 16, 2025
The Sabres play six of their first eight games at home, including three of their first four. The only two road trips during that stretch are quick ones to Boston and Montreal. The Sabres improved their home record last season and finished 14-3 in their final 17 games at KeyBank Center. If they can stack some wins early in the season in front of the home crowd, maybe they'll have a chance to start to fill the building and create more of a home-ice advantage. These early-season games aren't a cakewalk, though. The Rangers, Senators and Red Wings, all Eastern Conference wild-card contenders, come to Buffalo in the first few weeks of the season, along with the Panthers, Avalanche and Maple Leafs. The Sabres also have 10 of their first 14 games at home this season and only have two trips to Boston and one each to Montreal and Toronto during that stretch. After starting last season in Prague, the Sabres will have a much different travel situation to start this season.
JJ Peterka won't have to wait too long for his first game back in Buffalo. Peterka, who was traded to Utah for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan, will come to Buffalo as a member of the Mammoth on Nov. 4. While it won't be a Jack Eichel-level of atmosphere, it will be interesting to see how fans and former teammates respond to Peterka's return. The team didn't send out any farewell or thank you notes to Peterka on social media after the trade. It was well-documented that the 23-year-old wasn't interested in playing for the Sabres anymore. Maybe that will give the building some extra juice on a Tuesday in November.
In December, the Sabres are going to have their longest road trip since January 2012. They start with a game in Philadelphia before traveling to Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Seattle. Only the Calgary and Edmonton games are back-to-back, but that's still a grueling stretch of travel. Last season, the Sabres fell apart in December. If they want to avoid a similar fate this season, they'll have to show up on the road. After a home-heavy start to the season, 10 of the Sabres' 14 games in December are on the road.
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Because of the Olympic break, the Sabres play six games during February. Only one of those is at home. So, at least the calendar is clear for a Super Bowl parade if need be.
The Sabres start February with a back-to-back on the road against Florida and Tampa Bay, and then finish the month with a back-to-back on the road against Florida and Tampa Bay. That's not going to make already tough matchups any easier. Even though the travel situation in December is more challenging, the opponents and lengthy break might make February one of the toughest parts of the schedule.
After a mid-March West Coast swing to Vegas and California, the Sabres will get seven of their final 11 games at home against some beatable opponents. They host the Bruins, Red Wings, Kraken, Islanders, Lightning, Blue Jackets and Stars with road games against the Senators, Capitals, Rangers and Blackhawks mixed in. A lot can change between now and April, but that looks like a favorable stretch of games for the Sabres if they find themselves in the mix.
(Photo of JJ Peterka and Alexander Kerfoot: Rob Gray / Imagn Images)
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