Sabres + Griffins = New Hockey Arena?

Yes, you read the title correctly.  When I first caught wind of this great plan for Canisius College, the Sabres organization, and the city of Buffalo as a whole, I could not believe what I was reading in The Griffin (Canisius' school newspaper).  Canisius College is a private institution, and with as small of a school as it is, could this be true?  Could this actually happen?  What added to the shock of this story was the fact that the Sabres came to Canisius with the idea first.  This proves further how Terry Pegula really is the man, and how he is on a mission.  That mission is not to just bring trophies to Buffalo.  It is to make a lasting positive impact on the city for many years to come.

The proposed plan is to build an ice-hockey arena on the Canisius College campus taking the place of the Koessler Athletic Center upper parking lot.  The complex would double as the Griffins home ice as well as the new Sabres practice facility which would be much closer to home than their current practice location.  The cost of the plan was mentioned by Canisius College Athletic Director Bill Maher to be "north of $20 million."  But nothing is set in stone yet.  The Sabres simply came to Canisius saying that they know Canisius wants to build sometime in the future and if they do, the Sabres would like to do it together.

As an alumni of Canisius College and a die-hard Sabres fan, this proposed plan would be a dream come true. This would be one huge step towards a great future for the hockey program at Canisius.  An ice-rink right on campus would be a sure plus.  I think we would all agree that there would be a definite spike in attendance by Canisius students at home games.  More support can never be a bad thing.  Not having to rent out the ice at Buffalo State would also be a plus.  The team could actually practice on its own home ice and get used to the feel of the whole arena.  There would also be a Griffin on center ice as opposed to a Bengal!  The Sabres and Griffins both share the blue & gold, making it an easy project to blend together.  The big blue wall along the side of Main and Delavan at the proposed project site would fit right in.

The arena would also have a positive impact on local businesses like the Buffalo Pizza Company, located directly behind the Koessler Athletic Center, and Dagwoods, located across Main Street.

The only negative I can think of (a small one) would be the traffic and parking situation, which can always be fixed later. There may be a metro station directly across the street, but not everyone is going to use it.  I can’t imagine the parking situation after one of the biggest lots on campus is completely erased.  It is bad enough already when the Griffins basketball team plays a home game.  The Spillman Lot could also lose some space if the athletic fields need to be pushed there.  If you have ever been to Canisius, then you know how difficult and frustrating it already is to find a parking spot.  It might just mean that the next project would be actually opening the third floor of the parking ramp for once, and not only opening it for freshman orientations.  Perhaps they would have to add a 4th and maybe 5th floor.  Would that be possible?

This plan is a long look into the future, but no matter how long it takes, I hope the sides can agree on a solid plan and make things happen.