10 More Years! | KeyBank x Buffalo Sabres Announce KeyBank Has Extended Naming Rights Partnership

10 More Years! | KeyBank x Buffalo Sabres Announce KeyBank Has Extended Naming Rights Partnership

Well, good morning everybody and welcome to Keybank Center. Good morning to everyone watching and listening in on our live stream as well at sabers.com. Want to welcome you to today’s special announcement, one that speaks volumes about partnership, community, and the future of our city, the city of Buffalo. My name is Dan Dun Levy. I have the honor and the privilege of being the play-by-play voice of the Buffalo Sabres. It’s an honor as well to be here with all of you this morning for what is a marquee moment in the history of this arena and as I mentioned in the history of our city. Before we dive into today’s exciting reveal, I would like to introduce the special guests who have joined me here on stage this morning. Buffalo Market President and Regional Commercial Leader Key Bank Mike McMahon, the mayor of Buffalo Chris Scandlin, Erie County Executive Mark Poland Cars, Buffalo Sabres Chief Operating Officer Pete Guelli, chairman of the board and CEO of Key Bank Chris Gorman, and Buffalo Sabres owner, President and CEO Terry Bugula. I would like to take a moment now to thank everyone who helped bring today to life. For our dedicated partners at Key Bank Center, to the leadership group here with me on stage, and the remarkable team behind the scenes, most importantly, whose hard work made this event here today possible. I would also like to thank all those who are here with us today, including Key Bank leadership and staff, Sabers and Key Bank Center leadership and staff, as well as public officials, dignitaries, and our valued Sabers corporate partners. Thank you for being part of what is a very special moment. A day like today doesn’t happen without many things. Collaboration, commitment, and a shared vision. This moment is a celebration of all of those efforts coming together. And we are truly grateful to have you all here with us to share. In just a moment, we are going to officially unlock the reason we’re all gathered here today. And at this time, I would like to invite Terry Pagula and Chris Gorman to come forward and join me and take your positions in front of the Key Bank doors. And at this time, I will entrust this key to Chris, who will unlock the door and unveil what is waiting behind the door. All right, the moment has come, not only to see what this key unlocks, but what it represents for the future. Chris, the moment is yours. Go ahead and unveil what is behind the door, revealing the next chapter in this arena’s proud history. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s my pleasure to officially announce that Key Banks has extended their naming rights partnership to Key Bank Center, the proud home of the Buffalo Sabres, the Buffalo Bandits, and the heart of entertainment in the city of Buffalo. Ladies and gentlemen, we invite you now to turn your attention to our video screen. This is where we meet. At the center, the beating heart. That fiery passion inside you. Let it take over. Rasmus Dolan with the overtime winner. The bumblebee and let it take you everywhere. This is the city of light, the city of good neighbors. The door is open. So come on in. Around every corner is something fresh, phenomenal, new flavors that you got to try. Take your time, make a day of it, then meet us right back here. Hey, we’ll bang the drum for you. And of course, let’s go Buffalo. Go Buffalo. Let’s go Buffalo. Sorry, we didn’t catch that. Let’s hear it one more time. Let’s go Buffalo. Let’s go Buffalo. Go Buffalo. We got a lot of heart here. So wear it on your sleeve. We love you. Buffalo loves you. And let them know that this is where you work and play and feel alive. Where you raise a glass and raise your voice and thousands will join in. These big time moments, the laughter and tears, that feeling of wonder, that sense of belonging. We’ve come together so you can make these memories. here and everywhere. So, make sure you meet us at the beating heart of Buffalo. We will now hear from our distinguished guests, some of our guests, beginning with someone whose long-standing commitment, and that word comes with all truth and honesty to the city of Buffalo and this organization as well. And it’s played that commitment a key role in bringing today to life. Please welcome Mr. Terry Pagoula. Thank you. More people here than I thought there was going to be. First, I need to thank uh Key Bank, Chris, Mike. Your support is uh of this arena and this community is is really special to me. Um, since 2016, Key Bank has been a loyal partner of the Sabres in this arena. And this uh new extension uh gives us 20-year commitment uh which is amazing to me for you to support us that well. Uh Key Bank has been hosting events since 1996. Obviously, the primary tenants we all know are the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bandits. Uh, so many sporting events here. And by the way, our champion Buffalo Bandits three times in a row. Nice. World Juniors, NCAA basketball, NCAA hockey, uh, wrestling, boxing, you name it. Concerts, world famous artists. We got one coming too. What’s McCartney? Yeah. This year we have approximately 140 events planned for this arena. I can tell you that historically that number was around 120 events and our plan in our organizations is to increase that to 200 events a year which will even give this arena more exposure. Uh the Buffalo Sabres recently recently engaged Trip Umbach uh nationally recognized consulting firm to perform an economic and community study to tell us what the economic impact of this arena is to the uh to this region. They determined that this arena has a $694.2 million economic impact to this region. It has its hand in employing 3822 people and in 2023 paid 48.6 million in taxes. So, uh, this arena is is a cornerstone of the economy in Western New York. How is that? Key Bank, the Savers, and the Bandits drew 1.1 million visitors to this area in 2023. The study was based on 2023. that creates tourism opportunity for other businesses in the area, restaurants, um, retail shops and other entertainment venues. This arena, its teams and events draw attention to this region and puts Buffalo on the national map as a place that is friendly for business and we want to draw in new business. Our management and players are involved in the community and add to the positive relationship of between our fans and our residents. Buffalo may be a small sports market, but it has a big heart. In 1996, a fan purchased seats one and two in section 119, row 12. That fan was me. I find it interesting that an ordinary fan in 1996 is standing here talking to everyone at this event. Doesn’t that in a roundabout way, if you think about it, show how important this arena, the teams that play in it, the acts that perform here, how important it is to Western New York. You got to think about it. Ordinary fan, I’m talking to you right now. So, I’m going to end with that and you can um thank this arena for a lot that goes on in Western New York. Thank you, Terry. Now, we’ll hear from a leader whose dedication to this partnership has been marked by reliability, collaboration, and a commitment to Buffalo’s future. Please welcome Key Bank chairman of the board and CEO Chris Gorman. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Dan. Thank you, Terry. Thank you, Peter. Thank you to the 3822 people that bring this great place to life all the time. Thank you to the Key Bank team. Uh it’s just great to be here. Um, it’s great to be here in Buffalo to officially announce Key Bank’s renewed partnership with the Buffalo Sabres. We’re proud to have extended our naming rights partnership with Key Bank Center, an iconic venue, not only home to Buffalo Sabres and the Bandits, but also the cornerstone of entertainment throughout Western New York, as Terry mentioned, 120 events going to 140. It is a very important place. The partnership carries real meaning. It reflects shared values, especially a commitment to winning, a commitment to the people of Buffalo. When two institutions with deep roots in the community come together, it sends a powerful message. We believe in this city and we believe in each other, which is important. As we celebrate our bsentennial at Keybank, commemorating 200 years of service and counting and we reflect on our history and the critical moments that have brought us to the here and now. Buffalo is an absolute critical part of that journey. We proudly display our name on this arena as a symbol of our belief in and commitment to the great city of Buffalo and to Western New York. It is not just branding. It is a promise that we are invested in helping Buffalo thrive. The partnership is about lifting each other up and creating opportunities across this great city. We could not be more honored and excited to continue to build upon our partnership with the Sabres and to help Buffalo thrive. With that, as part of today’s announcement, I am thrilled to share that Key Bank and the Savers have teamed up to create a new community pillar launching in 26 2026. Haki Associates community program. The mission of Haki assists in the to inspire pride and the possibility throughout all of Western New York through educational outreach, small business growth, and grassroots engagement. The program will empower and support our youth. It will spotlight the unique journeys of local entrepreneurs and bring people together through impactful differencemaking programs in the neighborhoods we so proudly call home. We are incredibly proud of this program and look forward to seeing its positive impact in the community in the years ahead. I just want to close by saying thank you all for being here. It’s great to see the whole team gathered. Terry, I’m so glad that that fan bought those season tickets. That’s made a huge difference. So, thank you for that and thank you for the partnership. We really look forward to it. Thank you all. Thank you, Dan. Thank you, Chris. And pleasure to meet you over by the the helmets over here, which we’ll talk about in just a moment. We’ve got a big fan and another uh moment to get excited about. Up next, someone who understands the vital role in partnerships like this play in strengthening the fabric of Western New York. Please welcome Erie County Executive Mark Poland Carars. Thanks, Dan. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. Uh on behalf of the people of Vary County, first off, I want to thank uh Terry and Kimuola and the entire Pagula family for their continued commitment to our region with both the Bills and of course our Savers and the Bandits. Threetime back-to-back world champions. Not too shabby. And as an old hockey coach, I feel pretty good about the Sabres season this year. What do you think, Razer Maria? I think so too. Good. Uh and to to uh to everyone with Key Bank, uh I want to thank you for your commitment to this region. It’s not just putting the name of Key Bank on this arena, but also the commitment you have in the jobs that are created, the people that are employed here. Uh it makes a huge difference in our community. Now, 200 years ago, basically a Ta Thompson slapshot that way was the opening of the Eerie Canal. And people have been coming to Buffalo in this region for 200 years because of what’s here. Now, the Erie Canal may not really exist anymore as it pretends as it is to this region, but as was noted, hundreds of thousands of people come to this spot, to this area to partake in the games, the concerts here at Key Bank Center. I know I’m one of them, and I’m looking forward to that concert on November 14th with Paul McCartney. And that doesn’t happen unless you have a good group of individuals behind the scenes who ensure that this facility can continue not just for today but for decades to come. So on behalf of the people of Vary County, I want to thank you all for the investment that you’re making through Key Bank to retain the the naming rights for Key Bank Center. Of course the Pagoula family for their investment in this community. And when people come down to this arena, it’s not just helping this region out, this immediate area. Now, sales tax. We talked about taxes. Sales tax is important because every community in Erie County shares in the sales tax that’s generated here. It’s not just going to Erie County. It’s not just going to New York State. Erie County shares 48% of the sales tax that is generated locally. And I think that’s important to know because not only is it helping the county out, it’s helping the city of Buffalo out. It’s helping the city of Buffalo school district out. Every city, every town, every village, and every school district in Erie County benefits when this place is full with people because of the sales tax that’s generated. So whether you’re in the Pioneer School District in Sardinia or Grand Island School District or the town of Newstead, the city of Lacawana, every time this arena’s lights are on, it helps ensure the future of our community, our school district, and that’s something that I don’t think a lot of people understand, but is very important. So, thank you for your commitment to continuing the this great partnership between Key Bank and the Sabres and the Pagulo organization. And I look forward to this this place being busy every night. And I know Pete has told me that’s his goal, too. So, to all, this is a great day. It shows a continuation of the investment that was made by both of these organizations in our community. An investment that is benefiting every part of our county. Thank you all. Mark, thank you very much. Today’s announcement isn’t just about a building, as mentioned. It’s about investing in Buffalo’s future and continuing the momentum that we’re seeing and obviously hearing about in our city. And here to speak more about that vision and what partnerships like this mean, we are going to continue to hear from our special guests that are joining us here today. And I want to make sure we get everybody in the proper order and thanking our speakers for reflecting and helping us reflect on what this moment represents here today because it is important and where we’re headed more than where we are right now. To help us mark this occasion, we’ve invited a couple of legends with the Sabres franchise to join us now who really do embody the spirit of Buffalo. I would like to welcome Sabres alumni Marty Baron and Rob Ray to the stage now to join Chris Gorman and Terry Pagula in front of the Key Bank doors. Marty and Rob are presenting a token of appreciation to our partners at Key Bank. Buffalo Sabres helmets proudly adorned with a Key Bank logo. The Sabres are proud to announce that Key Bank is their official away helmet sponsor beginning this upcoming season. Perfect. There you go. All right, that looks great. I They’re going to keep it on, too. As I was mentioning, today’s announcement is not just about a building. It’s about investments in Buffalo’s future. And joining us here today and to come up now to say a couple of words, the mayor of Buffalo, Chris Scanland. Thank you, Dan. Good morning, everyone. Um, such an exciting morning here in Buffalo to come together and celebrate partnership. Anyone who’s heard me talk about the city of Buffalo and where we’re headed and the keys to our success moving forward, I consistently talk about partnerships and collaboration. And up on stage here, we have some of the great partners that we have throughout this community. To uh the Pagoula family, Terry and Kim, I want to thank you for your commitment to the city of Buffalo and to this region and your stewardship of some of the most important institutions this region’s known most of the beloved institutions we have. So, thank you for your commitment to this region. Uh so, Chris and Mike and everyone at Key Bank, I want to thank you and congratulate you on 200 years of operations. Uh thank you for what you do here. Obviously, your name’s on this building and it means a lot to this building, but you impact this community in so many other ways, Key Bank. Um whether it’s lending or jobs opportunities for people, the programmatic side of things that you invest in this community. I want to thank you for that on behalf of the residents of the city of Buffalo. Pete and your team, um you do just such an unbelievable job and since you took it on your role, you can see the way you bring people together and uh foster those relationships and build those partnerships. I want to thank you for that as well. and to my partner in government, County Executive Mark Poland Carars. I don’t know if everyone knows this, but different levels of government don’t necessarily always get along, but um the the county executive has been a tremendous partner to me in my time in government. Um and it’s really been an honor to work alongside him in my different capacities in government. I want to thank you for your your partnership with the city of Buffalo. Um this building is uh the heartbeat of sports and entertainment here in downtown Buffalo. And I want to thank the 3,800 people that bring it to life on a regular basis and soon to bring it to life on 200 evenings uh in the near future. That’s the goal, right? Uh so I want to thank you all for all of that. Um but we’re also not just here celebrating the partnership between Key Bank and the Buffalo Savers. We’re also here to celebrate the 200-year milestone of Key Bank. And I want to again congratulate Chris and Mike and the team at Key Bank. I have a proclamation here from the mayor’s office on behalf of the citizens of the buff of citizens of Buffalo extending congratulations to Key Bank uh in celebration of your 200th anniversary. I’m not going to read the whole thing um when the owner is only up here a few minutes. You don’t stay up here much longer than that. So um I just want to congratulate you and offer you this proclamation on behalf of the residents of the city of Buffalo on 200 fantastic years and wish you nothing but the best in the future. Thank you, mayor. Thanks, Chris. Appreciate you being here. Well, this has been a meaningful morning for the city of Buffalo. And on behalf of the Sabres and Key Bank, we want to welcome our invited guests to enjoy a reception that will be held in behind you. And thanking everybody for being a part of this incredible day and for helping us celebrate not just the name on a building, as we heard, but a meaningful partnership rooted in pride, purpose, and belief more importantly in the city of Buffalo and its future. We hope you enjoy the rest of your day. And just letting the media know as well that there will be some one-on ones available off to the side of the stage. Please see the Sabres media relations staff and they will make that happen for you. Enjoy the rest of your day and as always, let’s go Buffalo. Hello.

We are thrilled to announce that KeyBank has extended the naming rights partnership to KeyBank Center through 2036! KeyBank Center is the proud home of the Buffalo Sabres, the Buffalo Bandits, and is the heart of entertainment in the city of Buffalo.

Subscribe to the Buffalo Sabres YT Channel: https://bit.ly/2G1G8eT
For More Sabres Action: https://bufsabres.co/2XAYg5m

#BuffaloSabres #Sabres #NHL

For more Sabres action: Sabres.com
Follow us on X: twitter.com/BuffaloSabres
Follow us on TikTok: https://bufsabres.co/TikTok
Follow us on Instagram: Instagram.com/buffalosabres
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/buffalosabres