- Address: 1 Seymour H. Knox III Plaza, Buffalo
- Country: United States
- Capacity: 19,000
- Opened: 21 September 1996
- Main use: Box lacrosse, ice hockey
- Tenants: Buffalo Bandits (box lacrosse), Buffalo Sabres (ice hockey)
Extra stadium info – KeyBank Center
The construction costs of the KeyBank Center, which opened as the Marine Midland Arena, were $127 million. The arena was also known as the HSBC Arena and the First Niagara Center before it became the KeyBank Center. It became a venue for various events, like basketball, box lacrosse, concerts, ice hockey, indoor American football, indoor football, inline hockey and wrestling. The Buffalo Bandits and the Buffalo Sabres both use the KeyBank Center for home games. The Bandits play in the National Lacrosse League and the Sabres play in the National Hockey League.
The Buffalo Bandits and attendances
The Buffalo Bandits won the National Lacrosse League in 1992 for the first time in their history. They drew an average home attendance of 13,000 in that NNL season. Three box lacrosse clubs drew an average home league attendance of at least 10,000 in that box lacrosse season. In 1993, the Bandits won their second NLL title. They drew an average home league attendance of 16,000 that year. The Buffalo Bandits won their third NNL title in 1996. That year, they drew an average home league attendance of 14,000.
The Buffalo Sabres in 1975
In 1975, the Buffalo Sabres appeared in the finals of the Stanley Cup for the first time in their history. They faced the Philadelphia Flyers from Pennsylvania in the championship series of the NHL that year. One year earlies, the Flyers won their first-ever Stanley Cup title after beating the Boston Bruins from Massachusetts. In 1975, the Philadelphia Flyers won four of the six games in the finals of the Stanley Cup. The Sabres won two of their three home matches in those finals.
The Buffalo Sabres in 1999
In 1999, the Buffalo Sabres played in the finals of the Stanley Cup for the second time in their history. That year, the finals consisted of six games between the Sabres and the Dallas Stars from Texas. The Stars won four of those six games. On 12 June 1999, the KeyBank Center hosted its first-ever match for the finals of the Stanley Cup. 18,000 people attended the game, which ended in a victory for the visitors from Texas. Three days later, the KeyBank Center hosted its second match for the championship series of the NHL. The home side won the game 2-1.
