Sabres 25-26 schedule: Home opener Oct. 9, Maple Leafs visit twice, long December trip

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Sabres will open the 2025-26 season on home ice at KeyBank Center on Oct. 9 against the New York Rangers, the team has announced.

View the Sabres’ full scheduled released by the NHL on Wednesday at the bottom of this post.

Among the highlights, the two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will visit Buffalo on Oct. 18, during a stretch in which the Sabres will play 10 of their first 15 games at home, and Jan. 12 as part of a season-long six-game homestand. Buffalo’s rival Toronto Maple Leafs will play here twice, Oct. 24 and March 14.

All-time scoring leader Alex Ovechkin will play in Buffalo with the Presidents Trophy-winning Washington Capitals on Nov. 1 and March 12. The Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers and star Connor McDavid come to KeyBank Center on Nov. 17, and former Sabres captain Jack Eichel returns with the Vegas Golden Knights on March 3. Recently traded JJ Peterka and the Utah Mammoth play here Nov. 4.

Buffalo’s longest road trip of the season is six games starting Dec. 3 in Philadelphia before five games out west concluding with Dec. 14 date in Seattle. The Sabres will then play just three home games between Dec. 1 and Jan. 6, none during the holiday season. The team is on the road at Pittsburgh the night before Thanksgiving before hosting the New Jersey Devils on Black Friday. There also won’t be any games at KeyBank Center from Feb. 5 until March 3, as the NHL takes a three-week break for the Olympics, followed by a three-game road trip for the Sabres.

Thu, Oct. 9	vs New York	7 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 11	at Boston	7 p.m.
Mon, Oct. 13	vs Colorado	12:30 p.m.
Wed, Oct. 15	vs Ottawa	7 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 18	vs Florida	1 p.m.
Mon, Oct. 20	at Montreal	7:30 p.m.
Wed, Oct. 22	vs Detroit	7:30 p.m.
Fri, Oct. 24	vs Toronto	7 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 25	at Toronto	7 p.m.
Tue, Oct. 28	vs Columbus	6:45 p.m.
Thu, Oct. 30	at Boston	7:00 PM
Sat, Nov. 1	vs Washington	7 p.m.
Tue, Nov. 4	vs Utah	7 p.m.
Thu, Nov. 6	vs St. Louis	7 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 8	at Carolina	7 p.m.
Wed, Nov. 12	at Utah	9 p.m.
Thu, Nov. 13	at Colorado	9 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 15	at Detroit	7 p.m.
Mon, Nov. 17	vs Edmonton	7 p.m.
Wed, Nov. 19	vs Calgary	7:30 p.m.
Fri, Nov. 21	vs Chicago	7 p.m.
Sun, Nov. 23	vs Carolina	1 p.m.
Wed, Nov. 26	at Pittsburgh	7 p.m.
Fri, Nov. 28	vs New Jersey	4 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 29	at Minnesota	8 p.m.
Mon, Dec. 1	vs Winnipeg	7:30 p.m.
Wed, Dec. 3	at Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.
Fri, Dec. 5	at Winnipeg	7 p.m.
Mon, Dec. 8	at Calgary	9 p.m.
Tue, Dec. 9	at Edmonton	9 p.m.
Thu, Dec. 11	at Vancouver	10 p.m.
Sun, Dec. 14	at Seattle	8 p.m.
Thu, Dec. 18	vs Philadelphia	7 p.m.
Sat, Dec. 20	vs New York	5 p.m.
Sun, Dec. 21	at New Jersey	7 p.m.
Tue, Dec. 23	at Ottawa	7 p.m.
Sat, Dec. 27	vs Boston	7 p.m.
Mon, Dec. 29	at St. Louis	8 p.m.
Wed, Dec. 31	at Dallas	8 p.m.
Sat, Jan. 3	at Columbus	3 p.m.
Tue, Jan. 6	vs Vancouver	7 p.m.
Thu, Jan. 8	at New York	7 p.m.
Sat, Jan. 10	vs Anaheim	7 p.m.
Mon, Jan. 12	vs Florida	7 p.m.
Wed, Jan. 14	vs Philadelphia	7:30 p.m.
Thu, Jan. 15	vs Montreal	7 p.m.
Sat, Jan. 17	vs Minnesota	12:30 p.m.
Mon, Jan. 19	at Carolina	1:30 p.m.
Tue, Jan. 20	at Nashville	8 p.m.
Thu, Jan. 22	at Montreal	7 p.m.
Sat, Jan. 24	at New York	1 p.m.
Tue, Jan. 27	at Toronto	7 p.m.
Thu, Jan. 29	vs Los Angeles	7 p.m.
Sat, Jan. 31	vs Montreal	7 p.m.
Mon, Feb. 2	at Florida	7 p.m.
Tue, Feb. 3	at Tampa Bay	7 p.m.
Thu, Feb. 5	vs Pittsburgh	7 p.m.
Wed, Feb. 25	at New Jersey	7 p.m.
Fri, Feb. 27	at Florida	7 p.m.
Sat, Feb. 28	at Tampa Bay	7 p.m.
Tue, March 3	vs Vegas	7 p.m.
Thu, March 5	at Pittsburgh	7 p.m.
Sat, March 7	vs Nashville	5:30 p.m.
Sun, March 8	vs Tampa Bay	6 p.m.
Tue, March 10	vs San Jose	7 p.m.
Thu, March 12	vs Washington	7 p.m.
Sat, March 14	vs Toronto	7 p.m.
Tue, March 17	at Vegas	10 p.m.
Thu, March 19	at San Jose	10 p.m.
Sat, March 21	at Los Angeles	4 p.m.
Sun, March 22	at Anaheim	8 p.m.
Wed, March 25	vs Boston	7 p.m.
Fri, March 27	vs Detroit	7 p.m.
Sat, March 28	vs Seattle	5:30 p.m.
Tue, March 31	vs New York	7 p.m.
Thu, April 2	at Ottawa	7 p.m.
Sat, April 4	at Washington	7 p.m.
Mon, April 6	vs Tampa Bay	7 p.m.
Wed, April 8	at New York	7 p.m.
Thu, April 9	vs Columbus	7 p.m.
Mon, April 13	at Chicago	8:30 p.m.
Wed, April 15	vs Dallas	7 p.m.