Buffalo Arena Getting Yet Another Name Change

Buffalo’s First Niagara Center KeyBank Center is becoming a somewhat hilarious embodiment of the ways bank mergers have become a familiar part of the country’s economic fabric.

And yes, that’s the name. Next season the Buffalo Sabres will be playing in KeyBank Center, reports ESPN. Team president Russ Brandon announced the pending name change Wednesday following the approval by federal regulators of the merger of First Niagara Financial Group and KeyBank.

The arena originally opened as Marine Midland Arena back in 1996 and has had many names while remaining the same old arena. In 2000, it changed over to HSBC Arena. That lasted a little longer than its first name, staying HSBC up until 2011 when the arena was rechristened First Niagara. Now, another change.

Until next time…