There’s nothing quite like rooting on your favorite team at an opponents barn. With hockey season just weeks away, you now have 41 chances to do just that.
Five Sabres road trips that might just be worth your time in no particular order— with a little basketball mixed in:
Sabres at Capitals — Friday November 25th
This is an easy sell. It’s the day after Thanksgiving, so most already have the day off from work. If you plan on driving, and leave at 8:00 a.m. you should be in D.C. around 4:00 p.m.
Verizon Center, where the Capitals play, is within walking distance of some big tourist attractions (Washington Monument, White House, Lincoln Memorial, etc.).Tickets, as of Saturday, have a median of roughly $65 on StubHub.
But wait, there’s more! On Saturday night (November 26), the Washington Wizards play at home against the San Antonio Spurs -- also at the Verizon Center. Tickets for that game on StubHub start at $56.
Sabres at Blackhawks — Thursday January 5, 2017
There are few teams, if any, that are more fun to watch than the Chicago Blackhawks. Apparently they’ve got this Patrick Kane guy that’s pretty good, too. The game is early in the year and I know some people like to save up their vacation days. Understandable, but what better way to start the year than a long weekend?
Tickets on StubHub start at $59. If you stay the weekend you’ll also be able to catch the Chicago Bulls, who take on the Toronto Raptors that Saturday (January 6). For the Broadway fans, Hamilton Chicago is also in town on that weekend—but tickets start around $300.
Sabres at Canadiens — Saturday January 21, 2017
In the United States we have Monday Night Football. In Canada, it’s Hockey Night In Canada. Nice.
The Bell Centre is one of those rinks where every game feels like it’s a really big deal. Losing defenseman PK Subban (traded to Nashville) is a bummer, he’s one of the most exciting players in the game. However, Montreal still has some really talented young players, like Alex Galchenyuk, who is a treat to watch while Montreal is on the power play. Montreal is only six hours from Buffalo, so it’s not a bad drive. Tickets start at $65 (American) on StubHub.
Sabres at Maple Leafs — Saturday February 11, 2017
“People think common sense is common — but it’s not” - Don Cherry
Checking out this game is just common sense if you’re a Sabres fan. Tickets start at $86 (American), which is on the higher end for an NHL game, but it’ll be worth it. With all the young talent on both rosters, watching this rivalry grow over the next decade will be fun.
For anyone who has watched the Leafs in Buffalo, you know the atmosphere is out of this world. Add Hockey Night in Canada’s Don Cherry, Toronto’s first overall draft pick Auston Matthews, burgeoning Sabres forward Jack Eichel and some poutine to the mix.
That’s what I call a good time.
If you stay up for the weekend you can also catch the Toronto Raptors take on the Detroit Pistons, and for that game, tickets start at $36.
Going back to ‘Cali
Sabres at Sharks — Tuesday March 14, 2017
Sabres at Kings — Thursday March 16, 2017
Sabres at Ducks — Friday March 17, 2017
Yes, this will be the most expensive trip by far, but you’ll surely get some bang for your buck. If checking out some West Coast Hockey is your thing, this is the trip for you.
As of today. on Expedia.com, you can book a Jet Blue flight round trip for $342. The direct flight from Los Angeles to Buffalo is a beautiful thing (and that’s your only way back).
Tickets for the Sharks contest start at $27, $40 for Kings game, and $28 road trip finale in Anaheim. As ticket prices go, with the likely cost of airfare, those are fairly reasonable.
And that’s not all.
Both Los Angeles basketball franchises, the Lakers and Clippers, are at home during that week, too -- and both are up against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tickets for those games are around $100, but watching LeBron James is worth it. Trust me.
And If that’s not enough, Alton Brown from the Food Network also has shows the entire week — so you might just came back to Western New York with a new recipe.
