Sabres vs. Maple Leafs: Battle of the QEW

When Do the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs Play Next?

Upcoming game information can be found below. Buffalo Sabres tickets and Toronto Maple Leafs tickets can be found on their respective team pages.

Are the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs Rivals?

Yes, the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs are regional and divisional rivals in the NHL. Often referred to as The Battle of the QEW, the Sabres vs. Maple Leafs rivalry includes regular season competition in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference as well as one postseason matchup, in 1999.

Who Are the Buffalo Sabres’ Biggest Rivals?

The Buffalo Sabres’ biggest rivals are the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.

Who are the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Biggest Rivals?

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ biggest rivals are the Buffalo Sabres, the Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, along with the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens as members of the NHL’s Original Six.

Game Results Between the Sabres and Maple Leafs

Of the NHL’s 82 regular season games, fans can expect three to four matchups between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs each year. The two teams have faced off 229 times, with the Sabres holding a 123-77-18-11 edge.

Buffalo Sabres vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Series History

Only separated by about 100 miles and an international border, the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Buffalo Sabres rivalry sprung up naturally once the Sabres joined the Maple Leafs, an Original Six franchise, in the NHL in 1970. To fans, the Toronto-Buffalo hockey rivalry has become known as the “Battle of the QEW” after Queen Elizabeth Way, the Canadian highway that connects both cities.

Historically, the Sabres-Maple Leafs rivalry has been built on competitive regular season action. Prior to joining the current Atlantic Division in 2013, the Sabres and Maple Leafs shared a division several times: first in 1970, when Buffalo formed as an expansion team in the East Division, through 1981, as members of the Adams Division and again from 1998 to 2013, as members of the Northeast Division.

Despite their consistently fierce faceoffs in the regular season, the Battle of the QEW has rarely extended into the postseason. In their first and only Stanley Cup Playoffs series, the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs clashed during the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals. Ultimately, the Sabres won in five games but lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Dallas Stars. In 2022, the two clubs played in the sixth NHL Heritage Classic, held at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario with the Sabres winning, 5-2.

Where Do the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres Play?

The Toronto Maple Leafs skate on home ice at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario. Repurposed from the historical Toronto Postal Delivery Building built in 1941, the arena now known as “The Hangar” or “SBA” opened as Air Canada Centre in 1999. Scotiabank Arena holds a capacity between 18,800 and 20,270 in its hockey layout, and has hosted the NHL All-Star Game in 2000 and 2024, the World Cup of Hockey in 2004 and 2016 and the qualifying rounds of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs due to COVID-19 travel-restrictions. During the NBA season, Scotiabank Arena serves as home court for the Toronto Raptors.

The Buffalo Sabres play at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The western New York arena opened in 1996, and as of 2012, holds a maximum capacity of 19,070 fans. Aside from the Sabres, KeyBank Center stands as home turf for the National Lacrosse League’s Buffalo Bandits, giving the venue its nickname “Banditland.” In its hockey configuration, KeyBank Center has held the NCAA Men’s Hockey Frozen Four of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament in 2003 and 2019.