Like a softball team hitting the patio for a plate of wings, the Buffalo Sabres are hungry to end the NHL’s longest active playoff drought—they haven’t reached the postseason since 2011.
As someone living just a short drive from Buffalo, I’ve seen firsthand how much this team means to the city and its fans. Now, with Lindy Ruff—the last coach to take the Sabres to the playoffs—back behind the bench, there’s a renewed sense of optimism. With a young core featuring Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and Owen Power, the Sabres have built a fast, skilled, and physical roster that feels closer than ever to finally getting over the hump. And with one of the most passionate fanbases in hockey packing KeyBank Center, every home game has the energy of a playoff night.
Of course, catching every Sabres game can be trickier than stopping a one-timer from the faceoff dot. Between regional sports networks, national TV broadcasts, and exclusive streaming deals, you need a solid game plan to follow the action from October to April.
That’s where we come in. This guide breaks down exactly how and where to watch the Sabres all season long—including the complete TV schedule, the best streaming options for in-market and out-of-market fans, and tips for tuning in without cable.
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What channels have Buffalo Sabres games?
In the U.S., most Buffalo Sabres games air on MSG Western New York—often referred to as MSG-B. The regional sports network is available in most of New York State (excluding the New York City metro area) and parts of Pennsylvania. You can get MSG through a local cable provider or stream it directly with The Gotham Sports App. If you’re an out-of-market fan, nearly all of those same games will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Nationally televised matchups will appear on ABC, ESPN, or TNT throughout the season. These games are available through most major TV providers and are typically blacked out on regional viewing options.
Want radio coverage? The Sabres’ flagship radio station is WGR 550 AM in Buffalo, which carries every regular-season and playoff game with full pre- and postgame shows. Coverage is also available on affiliate stations throughout Western and Central New York, and you can listen online or via the Audacy app if you’re outside the broadcast range.
2025–2026 Buffalo Sabres TV schedule
Due to their extended playoff drought, the Sabres don’t have many truly heated rivalries at the moment. Still, cross-border clashes with the nearby Toronto Maple Leafs or a visit from Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights always add extra intrigue.
The schedule is also packed with key Atlantic Division matchups against teams Buffalo must outperform to reach the postseason. Those high-stakes games are the perfect showcase for stars like Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin to shine.
Here’s the full 2025–2026 Sabres TV schedule, complete with start times and channel listings.
| Opponent | Day | Time (ET) | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
|
October |
|||
| New York Rangers | Thursday, Oct. 9 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Boston Bruins | Saturday, Oct. 11 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Colorado Avalanche | Monday, Oct. 13 | 12:30 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Ottawa Senators | Wednesday, Oct. 15 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Florida Panthers | Saturday, Oct. 18 | 1:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Montreal Canadiens | Monday, Oct. 20 | 7:30 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Detroit Red Wings | Wednesday, Oct. 22 | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, HBO Max |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Friday, Oct. 24 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+, Hulu |
| At Toronto Maple Leafs | Saturday, Oct. 25 | 5:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Tuesday, Oct. 28 | 6:45 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Boston Bruins | Thursday, Oct. 30 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
|
November |
|||
| Washington Capitals | Saturday, Nov. 1 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Utah Mammoth | Tuesday, Nov. 4 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| St. Louis Blues | Thursday, Nov. 6 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Carolina Hurricanes | Saturday, Nov. 8 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Utah Mammoth | Wednesday, Nov. 12 | 9:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Colorado Avalanche | Thursday, Nov. 13 | 9:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Detroit Red Wings | Saturday, Nov. 15 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Edmonton Oilers | Monday, Nov. 17 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Calgary Flames | Wednesday, Nov. 19 | 7:30 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Chicago Blackhawks | Friday, Nov. 21 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Carolina Hurricanes | Sunday, Nov. 23 | 1:00 p.m. | MSG-B, NHL Network |
| At Pittsburgh Penguins | Wednesday, Nov. 26 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| New Jersey Devils | Friday, Nov. 28 | 4:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Minnesota Wild | Saturday, Nov. 29 | 8:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
|
December |
|||
| Winnipeg Jets | Monday, Dec. 1 | 7:30 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Philadelphia Flyers | Wednesday, Dec. 3 | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, HBO Max |
| At Winnipeg Jets | Friday, Dec. 5 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Calgary Flames | Monday, Dec. 8 | 9:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Edmonton Oilers | Tuesday, Dec. 9 | 9:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Vancouver Canucks | Thursday, Dec. 11 | 10:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Seattle Kraken | Sunday, Dec. 14 | 8:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Philadelphia Flyers | Thursday, Dec. 18 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+, Hulu |
| New York Islanders | Saturday, Dec. 20 | 5:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At New Jersey Devils | Sunday, Dec. 21 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Ottawa Senators | Tuesday, Dec. 23 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Boston Bruins | Saturday, Dec. 27 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At St. Louis Blues | Monday, Dec. 29 | 8:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Dallas Stars | Wednesday, Dec. 31 | 8:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
|
January |
|||
| At Columbus Blue Jackets | Saturday, Jan. 3 | 3:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Vancouver Canucks | Tuesday, Jan. 6 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At New York Rangers | Thursday, Jan. 8 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Anaheim Ducks | Saturday, Jan. 10 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Florida Panthers | Monday, Jan. 12 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Philadelphia Flyers | Wednesday, Jan. 14 | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, HBO Max |
| Montreal Canadiens | Thursday, Jan. 15 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Minnesota Wild | Saturday, Jan. 17 | 12:30 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Carolina Hurricanes | Monday, Jan. 19 | 1:30 p.m. | TNT, HBO Max |
| At Nashville Predators | Tuesday, Jan. 20 | 8:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Montreal Canadiens | Thursday, Jan. 22 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At New York Islanders | Saturday, Jan. 24 | 1:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Toronto Maple Leafs | Tuesday, Jan. 27 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Los Angeles Kings | Thursday, Jan. 29 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Montreal Canadiens | Saturday, Jan. 31 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
|
February |
|||
| At Florida Panthers | Monday, Feb. 2 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Tampa Bay Lightning | Tuesday, Feb. 3 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+, Hulu |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Thursday, Feb. 5 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At New Jersey Devils | Wednesday, Feb. 25 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Florida Panthers | Friday, Feb. 27 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Tampa Bay Lightning | Saturday, Feb. 28 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
|
March |
|||
| Vegas Golden Knights | Tuesday, March 3 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Pittsburgh Penguins | Thursday, March 5 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Nashville Predators | Saturday, March 7 | 5:30 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Sunday, March 8 | 6:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| San Jose Sharks | Tuesday, March 10 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Washington Capitals | Thursday, March 12 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Saturday, March 14 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Vegas Golden Knights | Tuesday, March 17 | 10:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At San Jose Sharks | Thursday, March 19 | 10:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Los Angeles Kings | Saturday, March 21 | 4:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Anaheim Ducks | Sunday, March 22 | 8:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Boston Bruins | Wednesday, March 25 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Detroit Red Wings | Friday, March 27 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Seattle Kraken | Saturday, March 28 | 5:30 p.m. | MSG-B |
| New York Islanders | Tuesday, March 31 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
|
April |
|||
| At Ottawa Senators | Thursday, April 2 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Washington Capitals | Saturday, April 4 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Monday, April 6 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At New York Rangers | Wednesday, April 8 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Thursday, April 9 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
| At Chicago Blackhawks | Monday, April 13 | 8:30 p.m. | MSG-B |
| Dallas Stars | Wednesday, April 15 | 7:00 p.m. | MSG-B |
|
NHL Playoffs — Round 1 |
|||
| Boston Bruins | Sunday, April 19 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Boston Bruins | Tuesday, April 21 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| At Boston Bruins | Thursday, April 23 | 7:00 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| At Boston Bruins | Sunday, April 26 | 2:00 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| Boston Bruins | Tuesday, April 28 | 7:30 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| At Boston Bruins | Friday, May 1 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| NHL Playoffs — Round 2 | |||
| Montreal Canadiens | Wednesday, May 6 | 7:00 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| Montreal Canadiens | Friday, May 8 | 7:00 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| At Montreal Canadiens | Sunday, May 10 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| At Montreal Canadiens | Tuesday, May 12 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Montreal Canadiens | Thursday, May 14 | 7:00 p.m. | TNT, truTV, HBO Max |
| At Montreal Canadiens | Saturday, May 16 | 8:00 p.m. | ABC, ESPN |
| Montreal Canadiens | Monday, May 18 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Data effective as of post date.
Best TV plans for watching the Buffalo Sabres
The best way to watch the Sabres depends on where you’re tuning in from. To help you catch every game, I’ve broken down the top TV plans for fans in both the U.S. and Canada.
Sabres coverage in the United States
For U.S.-based fans, the most complete setup for watching the Buffalo Sabres is a combination of ESPN+ and a live TV streaming service that includes ESPN, TNT, and ABC for nationally televised games.
ESPN+ carries every out-of-market Sabres game that isn’t nationally broadcast, while services like Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV, and YouTube TV cover the national channels. Personally, I recommend Hulu + Live TV for Sabres fans. It bundles in ESPN+ with its live TV package, so you get both national coverage and every out-of-market game in one subscription.
If you’re in the Sabres’ home market, you’ll need a provider that carries MSG to watch most regular-season games. While Hulu + Live TV doesn’t offer the channel, it’s available as a standalone streaming subscription through The Gotham Sports App. You can also get MSG with a live TV streaming service like DIRECTV or Fubo, or find it on local cable TV providers.
Sabres coverage in Canada
For Canadian fans, following a U.S.-based NHL team like Buffalo requires a slightly different approach. While Sabres games sometimes appear nationally on Sportsnet, TSN, or Prime Video, the vast majority of matchups require access to an out-of-market U.S. feed (like MSG-B).
If you want to watch every game without hunting for streams or flipping between services, Sportsnet+ Premium is the way to go. Speaking from experience, it’s the most reliable, headache-free way to watch Buffalo from north of the border. It’s a single subscription that provides every out-of-market broadcast and works across all your devices, meaning you aren’t stuck piecing together different providers just to see the puck drop.
How to watch the Buffalo Sabres for free
If you’re hoping to watch Sabres games without spending anything, your best options are free trials from live TV streaming services.
In the U.S., platforms like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, and DIRECTV often offer trials of various lengths that include ESPN, TNT, and ABC. You can also subscribe to ESPN+ on a monthly basis and cancel before the first billing date if you’re targeting a short viewing window.
Canadian fans can sometimes watch Sabres games for free during national broadcasts on Sportsnet or TSN if those channels are part of an existing TV package. Sportsnet+ and TSN+ also occasionally run trial offers for new subscribers. Just remember that these are limited-time trials, so it’s smart to time them around games you really want to see.
How to watch the Buffalo Sabres FAQ
How can I watch the Buffalo Sabres if I don’t live in Western New York?
ESPN+ is the best way to stream out-of-market Sabres games in the U.S. To catch nationally televised matchups, you’ll also need a live TV streaming service that includes ESPN, TNT, and ABC—like Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV.
How can I stream MSG without cable?
MSG is available through Fubo and DIRECTV in select markets within the Sabres’ local broadcast territory. You can also subscribe to MSG+ via The Gotham Sports App, a standalone streaming service that lets you watch Sabres games and other MSG content without a traditional TV package.
Does ESPN+ show every Sabres game?
Not quite. For live games, ESPN+ carries all out-of-market regular-season matchups. But games airing nationally on TNT, ABC, or NHL Network will be blacked out. For on-demand replays, though, ESPN+ has full replays of all Sabres games after they end.
Who are the Buffalo Sabres commentators?
The Buffalo Sabres' local television broadcasts are currently led by play-by-play announcer Dan Dunleavy, with former Sabres enforcer Rob Ray as the color analyst. You can catch the duo calling the vast majority of the team's matchups throughout the season on MSG-B.
Why you should trust us
As a lifelong NHL fan living a short drive from Buffalo, CableTV.com contributor Ian McLaren spent years following the Sabres and testing the best ways to watch their games without missing a shift.
This guide draws on firsthand experience navigating and comparing streaming platforms to find the most reliable and consistent Sabres coverage.
Before publishing, Ian carefully reviewed the 2025–2026 NHL broadcast lineup to ensure Sabres fans get the most accurate, up-to-date viewing information possible.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
