BUFFALO – The Sabres will open the 2024-25 season in Europe as part of the NHL Global Series, the league announced this morning.
The team will play games against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 4 and 5 at O2 Arena in Prague, Czechia.
Prior to beginning the regular season, the Sabres will finish their training camp in Munich, Germany, and play an exhibition game against Red Bull Munich, a team in Deutsche Eishockey Liga, on Sept. 27.
The contest will be the first event in Red Bull’s new arena, SAP Garden.
Sabres winger JJ Peterka, 22, grew up in Munich attending Red Bull games before playing parts of two seasons with the team.
He said he’s “super pumped” to play an NHL game against Red Bull.
“Me and my family, we were always in the crowd cheering for them,” Peterka said after the Sabres prepared for tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings in KeyBank Center. “So it was pretty special when I turned pro playing there and being part of that. And then playing against them will be pretty cool.”
Peterka has emerged as one of the Sabres’ top offensive threats in his second NHL season. Right now, his 20 goals are tied for the team lead.
His presence in his hometown playing for an NHL team will be significant.
“The way they want to treat hockey there with the new rink and they want to have more kids try the sport, kind of like get into it, I think that’s a huge advantage now that we play there,” he said.
The Sabres last played overseas in 2019, when they faced the Tampa Bay Lightning in Stockholm, Sweden. On Oct. 8, 2011, the Sabres played the first NHL game in Germany, beating the Los Angeles Kings 4-2.
