Buffalo Bills and Sabres Chief Operating Officer Pete Guelli started by answering questions from the media this week about the building he was standing in: KeyBank Center, home of the Pegula-owned Buffalo Sabres and Bandits. While the naming rights extension was the matter at hand, it quickly turned to upgrades for the 28-year-old arena. Guelli mentioned the architecture firm, Populous, is currently working on a study that will create a long-term plan for the site.
“I still characterize it as preliminary in nature, but they're taking a hard look at what the next steps in this facility need to be,” Guelli said. “I think it (KeyBank Center) is the oldest building in the National Hockey League that has yet to undergo a major renovation, so it absolutely needs some work.”
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz mentioned that talks on the expiring lease of the building are slowly but surely happening, and that it’s likely another extension will occur before the current lease expires in September 2026. Guelli said he understands why the county is looking to get out of the arena business, but that there is still commitment from both sides to keep the team in Buffalo.
“I think we're in a great place, there's a lot of optionality there,” Guelli said. “Right now, we could just move forward and it's going to roll over for another five years. Our goal is to make sure this team is here long-term and well situated. We think this building is a catalyst for growth in downtown Buffalo, that's why we're trying to program as many nights a year as we possibly can.”
Guelli also said they’re eyeing non-football events for the new Highmark Stadium, including a bid to host the National Football League Draft in either 2029 or 2030, and a future National Hockey League outdoor Winter Classic, which the Sabres hosted the first iteration of in 2008.
