By Carter Schum | November 20, 2024
Photo Credit: Doug Kerr / Wikimedia Commons
In recent years, hockey has seen a surge in popularity across the United States. More people are watching on TV and in person than ever before, and hockey is truly on its way to shaking its reputation of being the forgotten “big four” sport in the United States.
If you are interested in following the NHL, having a favorite team will make the experience more fun and engaging. But who should you cheer for? With 32 options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to decide who your favorite NHL team will be.
However, there is one team that I think everyone should become a fan of. A team that is easy to be a fan of, with minimal effort required and will be a great opportunity for you to remind others that they exist and that you are a fan of the trendiest sport in the country.
This team is the Buffalo Sabres. One of three NHL franchises in New York state, the Sabres will provide any new fans with a relaxing experience as they learn how to become a hockey fan and maybe one day you can become one of a select few who have dedicated their lives to being a Sabres fan.
1. Minimal Commitment.
Because the Sabres have not made the playoffs since 2011, your fandom will only need to be active for 82 regular season games a year. Most top teams play 100+ per season over a number of months after engaging in the deep playoff runs. With the Sabres, there is no need to worry about that at all! Following a team for 100+ games over many months coupled with the stress of the playoffs is very taxing. With the Sabres having a very low chance of making the playoffs, little stress is experienced when cheering for them and ample time will be left to focus on any other team in any other sport.
2. Bad memory? No problem!
One of the major aspects of following a sports team is following and tracking all of the players on said team. Following the young stars, veterans, over and underperformers can be very challenging. However, the Sabres are known for having players that play less than one year before being traded, unlike some teams that have many players play 10-plus years, which makes tracking who has been on the team for how long is quite a task. However, due to the ever changing nature of the Sabres roster, remembering all these names is a non-issue since several players that start the year with the Sabres will inevitably be moved on to “bigger” teams. Not having to pay attention to the players makes the Sabres the ideal team for any new NHL fan!
3. Just Plain Fun!
The city of Buffalo is known for having some of the best sports fans in the country. Bills Mafia is famous worldwide for their fanatical support of their sports teams, and the Sabres share many of the same fans and traditions that the Bills do. Having one of the rowdiest fan bases in the league, the atmosphere inside KeyBank center in downtown Buffalo is always a party regardless of what the score is.
Winning is not everything in sports, being a fan of the Buffalo Sabres might not be as glamorous as being a fan of many other franchises, but the rowdy fans all round the city and across the country will make cheering for the Sabres more than fun.
I hope this article has convinced you to not only follow hockey and support the best team in the land, the Buffalo Sabres. It may not always be the most typical thing to do but trust me when I say it will be well worth your time.
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