Buffalo Sabres executive hints at team eyeing outdoor NHL game at future Bills stadium - "We've talked about the Winter Classic"

Buffalo Sabres and Bills COO Pete Guelli said big sports events may come to the new Highmark Stadium during an event at KeyBank Center on Wednesday. Guelli said they want to host an outdoor NHL game in the new stadium.

They have talked with the NHL about the Winter Classic and Stadium Series, and so the team is looking at dates that could work.

"We've talked to the [NHL] about the Winter Classic, we've talked to them about the Stadium Series," Guelli said, via spectrumlocalnews.com. "We told them we want it ... We're looking at the dates that would work best for that."

The original Winter Classic was held in January 2008 at the old stadium in Orchard Park. That game featured the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, which the latter won 2-1 in a shootout. Guelli wants the NHL to return to Buffalo for another Winter Classic, and said the new stadium would be a good place for it.

"It was a big success," Guelli said. "It was approximately 20 years ago, which would be fun to maybe memorialize that type of event with another one in this market ... And to do it at the new stadium? I think it's the perfect venue for it."

The 2026 Winter Classic and Stadium Series is scheduled to take place in Florida. Buffalo may try for dates after that.

The new Highmark Stadium is being built next to the existing one and will open during the 2026 NFL season. The stadium will accommodate around 62,000 fans. It is one of the most expensive NFL stadiums, costing nearly $2 billion in total. Taxpayers bear a significant portion of this cost.

Buffalo Sabres and owner Terry Pegula's long Stanley Cup playoff drought

Last season, the Buffalo Sabres missed the playoffs for the 14th straight season. This is the longest active playoff drought in pro sports. Buffalo won nine of its last 14 games, but it was not enough. A 13-game winless streak in December hurt their season early.

Captain Rasmus Dahlin said it’s frustrating to play well too late.

"I guess we have to build for next year and this is how you do it. This is the right way to do it,” Dahlin added, via The Athletic.

Owner Terry Pegula has owned the team for 14 years without a playoff appearance. The Sabres had playoff hopes last season, but injuries and weak goaltending affected their results.

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Edited by Krutik Jain