BUFFALO, N.Y. — The owners of the Buffalo Sabres acknowledged major renovations are needed at the KeyBank Center, following complaints about the conditions inside the arena.
For months, 2 On Your Side has received emails and messages on social media from fans who were upset with stained or ripped seats, broken cup holders, dirty bathrooms, odors, and other complaints from inside the arena.
"Place is drab, dingy, dark and dirty," one viewer said on Twitter. Another described the KeyBank Center as "[r]un down and trashy looking." And in another tweet, someone simply said, "It's a dump compared to most arenas."
Pegula Sports and Entertainment released the following statement in response to 2 On Your Side's questions about the complaints:
While winning championships is our primary focus, our most important business goal is creating enjoyable fan experiences. Ensuring our venues provide all the modern amenities commonplace in other professional sports venues around the country is a key element in creating our home field and home ice advantage.
We are currently renovating the premium clubs at New Era Field using private dollars, while working closely with the city of Rochester to make improvements at Blue Cross Arena using both public and private funds.
We are aware KeyBank Center is in need of significant upgrades. We will be working diligently to find the right solution to bring the arena up to modern professional sports standards as we begin to approach the end of the current lease.
Larry Quinn, a former president and CEO of the Sabres, was the franchise's point person for the arena when it was being built and opened in 1996.
"I think it's in excellent shape," Quinn said. "The lifespan of these buildings is fine. You just have to keep up with it and modernize."
Quinn pointed out there may be fewer complaints if the team were doing better on the ice.
"I'm not saying somebody didn't have a bad experience," Quinn said, noting that you may overlook an inconvenience if you're celebrating more victories. "I don't think it's a situation where they're not maintaining it, not cleaning it, not keeping up with the times."