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While Montreal stands as the final Canadian contender in the NHL playoffs’ second round, a significant number of hockey enthusiasts in St. Catharines, Ontario, view the Buffalo Sabres as their hometown favorites.
Inside Kully’s Original Sports Bar in central St. Catharines, supporters sporting navy blue Sabres headwear were more numerous than those backing the Montreal Canadiens during Game 1 of their second-round playoff matchup on Wednesday evening.
Adrian Kulakowsky, the establishment’s proprietor, noted this is a common scene in this cross-border territory, where numerous Canadian supporters find a sense of connection with an American squad.
“This is integrated into the Niagara culture — many relatives and companions reside on both sides of the boundary,” he stated against a background of boisterous conversations and sporadic shouts of encouragement.
When the Sabres secured an initial advantage during the first period, half of the patrons in the crowded establishment rose enthusiastically, while somber Habs supporters leisurely drank their beverages. The jubilant shouts persisted as the Sabres triumphed over the Habs with a score of 4-2.
The Montreal Canadiens, as the sole Canadian squad left in the Stanley Cup playoffs, are set to commence Round 2 facing the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. When questioned about their prospects, Prime Minister Mark Carney remarked: ‘I anticipate contacting the United States president and dispatching his Habs jersey to him.’
Mal Romanin commented that Kully’s establishment has emerged as the gathering spot for Sabres supporters, prompting him to arrive thirty minutes ahead of time on Wednesday to reserve a spot.
“Having been raised in Thorold, they are our local squad,” he stated, referring to the municipality close to St. Catharines.
Romanin, who previously served as the communications director for the Toronto Blue Jays, mentioned that for many years, his family possessed season passes for the Buffalo Sabres. “They feel like a nearby team — reaching them was straightforward from this part of the Niagara Region.”
He asserted that supporting the Sabres during these playoff games is not an unpatriotic act for Canadians.
“I believe that hockey, particularly at the NHL tier, isn’t centered on national pride. It revolves around your community’s team and the one you personally endorse.”
Elsewhere, Carol Taylor, her child Shelley Brevitt, and grandchild Kailey Brevitt, identified themselves as perpetual Sabres devotees who regularly go to matches in Buffalo.
Shelley Brevitt reminisced about waiting in queues for Sabres game passes alongside her mother as early as the initial years of the 1980s.
“Here, you witness three successive family lines of Buffalo Sabres enthusiasts who identify as proud Canadians,” she stated. “While we do have [the Toronto Maple Leafs], for our family, traveling to Buffalo was consistently a more practical option.”
During a discussion prior to Game 1, the establishment’s proprietor mentioned that the ambiance has been akin to “a festive celebration” when supporters arrive to view the postseason contests. This marks the Sabres’ initial playoff appearance in over ten years, Kulakowsky noted, and the entire city is experiencing the excitement.
“A substantial following exists locally,” Kulakowsky commented.
“Naturally, considering that lengthy dry spell, a considerable amount of suppressed enthusiasm has built up among many local supporters in this area.”
Niagara Falls lit up with hues of both competing squads
Kevin Townsend, a municipal council member, noted a deep-rooted tradition of Niagara Region supporters backing Buffalo. The Sabres, he mentioned, once held their practice sessions in St. Catharines, and the team experienced notable postseason successes across several decades, cultivating lifelong devotees.
“Should you attend any of the matches at any nearby eateries, you’ll observe numerous individuals presently donning Sabres jerseys,” he remarked.
Despite existing frictions between the United States and Canada concerning trade disputes, Townsend stated that a “perpetual bond” connects residents of Upstate New York and the Niagara Region.
“Political matters ought never to obstruct such a bond. Connections between people should endure indefinitely,” he declared.
Townsend highlighted the previous week’s game involving the Sabres and the Boston Bruins, where the audience maintained singing O Canada even after a microphone malfunctioned.
“This truly illustrates the profound regard that the populace of Upstate New York holds for Canadians, and equally, Canadians travel there to back the municipality of Buffalo,” he explained.
Such mutual goodwill was further evident at Niagara Falls, spanning both national boundaries, as Niagara Parks distributed images this week depicting the Horseshoe Falls bathed in red, white, and blue for the Habs, while the American portion of the falls was illuminated in blue and gold for the Sabres.
