Address: One Seymour H. Knox III Plaza, Buffalo, NY 14203
Location: At the foot of Main St. and South Park Ave. on the Buffalo waterfront
Ceremonial Groundbreaking: November 4, 1994
Gala Grand Opening Event: September 27, 1996: An evening of entertainment featuring appearances by: Doc Severinsen and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, figure skater Brian Boitano, aerialists, singer Ani DiFranco, and members of the Sabres, Bandits, and Blizzard.
First Hockey Game: September 21, 1996: preseason game vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (3-1 Buffalo win; first goal by the Sabres’ Brian Holzinger at 5:24 of the first period on Toronto goalie Don Beaupre).
First Regular Season Hockey Game: October 12, 1996 vs. Detroit Red Wings (6-1 win by Detroit; first regular season goal in HSBC by the Wings’ Vyacheslav Kozlov at 15:41 of the first period on Buffalo’s Dominik Hasek; first Buffalo regular season goal in HSBC by Michael Peca at 5:24 of third period on Detroit goaltender Mike Vernon).
Seating Capacity: 18,690 for hockey, lacrosse, football and soccer
19,100 for basketball
21,500 for concerts
(building size - 700,000 square feet)
Cost: $127.5 million ($72 million from private sources and $55 million from the combined resources of New York State, Erie County, and the City of Buffalo)
Project Architects:
Ellerbe Becket
Bergmann
Espacio/Hamilton Houston Lownie
Flynn Battaglia Architects
Buffalo Office Interiors/Hovey-Nardini Architects
Gordon Architects/Planners
Features:
1,100 space attached parking garage.
Four seating levels, including club level seats located one level below the suites. These seats have direct access to weather-protected parking garage, concierge and in-seat food & beverage service. 80 mid-level suites, featuring all the club seat amenities plus private restrooms. Suites seat 12 but can hold up to 18.
The Harbour Club possesses extensive banquet facilities (including seating for 800) while offering views of both the arena floor and the Buffalo waterfront. The Club is located on both the 100 and 200 levels, with formal and casual dining at the two locations respectively. Eight-sided scoreboard with Jumbotron video and instant replay capabilities on four sides,
and message/graphic capabilities on four sides.
Food courts
Sabres team store - at 5,000 square feet, it is one of the largest in-arena merchandise stores in the NHL.
Pepsi Headlines sports bar - includes displays and other features telling the history of amateur and professional sports in Buffalo.
Pavilion - The 330’ long by 65’ high glass-enclosed structure serves as the major entrance/exit for the arena.
In addition to the Sabres, the Buffalo Bandits (National Lacrosse League), Buffalo Blizzard (National Professional Soccer League), and the Buffalo Destroyers (Arena Football League) play their home games at HSBC Arena.
The HSBC Arena has also played host to the 2000 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship first and second rounds, and is the site for the 2003 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Final Four.
Over the first four years of operation alone, HSBC Arena has drawn almost 8.1 million people to games and events (over 4,200,000 for Sabres regular and post-season games, over 225,000 for Bandits regular and post-season games, over 150,000 for Destroyers games, and almost 3,000,000 for other arena events).
