Niagara Region home to many Buffalo Sabres fans as playoff rivalry with Canadiens reignites

While you would expect most people in the Hamilton area to be Leafs fans — no matter how painful — as you move south into the Niagara Region you start to see more Sabres fans.

It’s similar to why people in our area are Buffalo Bills fans. It’s right next door. And one Niagara sports reporter says it’s a more affordable option.

And as the Sabres took Game 1 over the Habs last night, Buffalo fans are doing what Buffalo fans do.

But Sabres fans aren’t just across the border.

“My mom and I lined up at 4 a.m. in Buffalo to get tickets,” says a female fan.

“Kind of a local team, it was easy to access from this area of the Niagara Region,” adds another fan.

“Just in my neighbourhood alone in Niagara Falls people have signs up — I noticed while out for a walk this morning. ‘Let’s go Buffalo’ signs on front yards,” says sports announcer Rod Mawhood.

The announcer of Niagara Sports Report, Mawhood says the Niagara Sabres’ fan base goes back decades.

“With season ticket holders, a lot of people can’t afford Maple Leafs tickets. And obviously geographically, the Niagara Region is closer to Buffalo,” Mawhood says.

The Sabres haven’t been to the playoffs in 15 years, and the excitement in Buffalo is spilling over the border.

“There’s definitely a buzz here in Niagara regarding the Buffalo Sabres, and there’s a couple of connections to the Niagara Region. Connor Timmins, defensemen on the Buffalo Sabres hails from Thorold, and on the Habs, defenceman Arber Xhekaj played his junior hockey with the St. Catharines Falcons in the GOHL,” adds Mawhood.

And Mawhood says there are plenty of Habs fans in the region as well.

“Welland is a very French influenced community. The GOHL team there is the Welland Junior Canadians, so there’s is a lot of Habs fans here,” Mawhood explains.

And both fan-bases are getting an Atlantic division playoff rivalry we haven’t seen since 1998.

Both sides are even getting personal and hitting each other where it hurts — in the tastebuds.

The owner of a Montreal tavern firing the first shot…

“We’re banning the Buffalo wing sauce, the Buffalo wraps, the Buffalo poutines, the Buffalo chicken burger, and we’re changing the names. And you know, we’re still going to serve the sauces, but it’s not going to be called ‘Buffalo’ anymore,” says Jim Beauchamp of Cunningham’s Pub.

And a response came from a Buffalo market — no more Montreal steak seasoning on the shelves.

“If they’re gonna take it off their menus, we’re gonna take the Montreal steak seasoning off our shelves. All in good fun, but go Sabres!” says Tony Pacella of Dash’s Market.

“Go Habs Go!” jokes Beauchamp.