Columbus Blue Jackets to host Buffalo Sabres for home opener
· Yahoo Sports
The NHL’s full schedule for 2026-27 won't be revealed for another day, but Blue Jackets fans got a preview July 15 with the league's unveiling of the home openers for all 32 teams.
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The Blue Jackets will face the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 1 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus' home opener. No word yet on start time or television broadcast information. It's an intriguing matchup, especially with the Jackets' connections to the Sabres' front office.
Jarmo Kekalainen, the Jackets’ former general manager, is now the Sabres’ GM while former Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson was hired July 14 as a senior advisor in Buffalo. Davidson held the same title with the Blue Jackets for the past two years, following the team’s hiring of president/GM Don Waddell in May 2024.
The Sabres should be a challenging opponent. After winning the Atlantic Division and topping the Eastern Conference with 109 points in a season that included Kekalainen replacing former GM Kevyn Adams, the Sabres advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in seven games.
The @NHL announced today the 2026-27 regular season, expanded to 84 games with the addition of two more divisional contests per team, will open on Tuesday, Sept. 29. In addition, the League announced each team’s home opener.
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) July 15, 2026
Details: https://t.co/jMxZCwXZU6pic.twitter.com/wfrDekHQs1
Buffalo lost star forward Alex Tuch as a free agent and traded defenseman Bowen Byrum but retained the bulk of a formidable lineup, including captain and star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, a Norris Trophy finalist.
The Blue Jackets will not be the opponent for any other team's home opener in 2026-27. The NHL releases each team’s full schedule on July 16, so stay tuned.
Dispatch Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets to host Buffalo Sabres for home opener