HSBC Arena

HSBC Arena is a sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It is home to the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team. The arena also hosts concerts and is used regularly for college basketball games, including opening-round games of the NCAA basketball tournament.

Related Topics:
Buffalo, New York - Buffalo Sabres - Buffalo Bandits - NCAA basketball tournament

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HSBC Arena opened on September 21, 1996, replacing the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. Its original name was the Crossroads Arena however it was soon changed to Marine Midland Arena before the first match had even been played there. The Marine Midland bank, which was part of the HSBC banking group, had purchased the naming rights. In 1999, as part of HSBC's worldwide corporate rebranding, the arena's name was changed to HSBC Arena. This name change coincided with the playing of the first college basketball tournament game in the arena's history. It has been occasionally refered to by Buffalo residents as The Marina (a portmanteau of Marine Midland Arena) or Fort Knox (a reference to the Sabres original owners Seymour and Northrup Knox). The Press Box in the arena is named after former Sabres broadcaster and Hockey Hall of Fame member Ted Darling.

Related Topics:
September 21 - 1996 - Buffalo Memorial Auditorium - HSBC - 1999 - Portmanteau - Seymour - Northrup Knox - Hockey Hall of Fame - Ted Darling

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Both sporting events and concerts at the arena are served by the Special Events station of the Buffalo Metro Rail.

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For sporting events, the arena seats 18,595.

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