Have the Sabres ever won the Stanley Cup? Here’s how close they’ve come originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
No, the Buffalo Sabres have never won the Stanley Cup.
Visit somethingsdifferent.biz for more information.
But they've come close, and these 2026 NHL playoffs could be the time they finally change that negative history for good.
This playoff run is already a first-time-in-a-long-time kind of proceeding.
The Sabres hadn't been in the playoffs at all since 2011. They'd missed 14 consecutive postseasons before this one.
They hadn't made the second round in 19 years, but now they've ended that drought, too.
They're trying to keep it rolling and make history for Buffalo, which has also never won a Super Bowl with the Bills (despite those four consecutive appearances with Jim Kelly).
MORE: Sabres' anthem singer has a message for the haters
How close the Sabres have come to winning the Stanley Cup
The two closest Sabres seasons ended in the Stanley Cup Finals:
- 1975: Loss to the Philadelphia Flyers
- 1999: Loss to the Dallas Stars
That Stars series was defined by Brett Hull's "No Goal" controversy.
MORE: Sabres 'blend in well with this city' in Game 1 win over Canadiens
'No Goal' Brett Hull controversy
Brett Hull scored the Game 6 goal in triple overtime that gave the Stars the 1999 Stanley Cup over the Sabres.
He appeared to score while he was in the crease.
The officials ruled he had carried the puck in and then scored, and they let the goal stand.
Buffalo would've had to get an OT goal and then win Game 7 still, but they never had that chance.
History to overcome
So yeah, the Sabres are working against a lot of negative history.
They lost twice in the conference finals in the mid-00s, as well.
They haven't been that close since, and so this season is trying to upend all the sad narratives.
This team may just be good enough to do it.