BUFFALO, N.Y. -- After months of waiting and a lot of hard work, the transition from First Niagara to Key Bank is over.
Buffalo Sabres President Russ Brandon says the rebranding process has been seamless.
"This has been a tremendous endeavor. We have so many enhancements that our fans are going to enjoy because of this partnership," said Brandon.
In addition to the name change, some of the major upgrades to the arena include free WiFi, updated lighting, and a new KeyBank Lounge that will be located near the Harbour Lounge.
KeyBank acquired the naming rights to the former First Niagara Center in May, as a part of KeyCorp’s purchase of First Niagara Financial Group. This is the fourth name change for the arena in 20 years and the KeyBank Upstate New York Regional Manager, Gary Quenneville, says he knows the name change will take fans some time to get used to.
Quenneville said they're ready to build on the foundation left by First Niagara.
"We should mention that as they grew and committed to Western New York in a large way, I think the area had a large impact on that. I would certainly hope that same result would happen and of course we want to be able to continue the legacy that they started," said Quenneville.
Quenneville also wants fans to know that the rebranding is just the start of their plan to help revitalize Buffalo.
"We have seen what long-awaited championships have done for other cities. I'm confident that magic can happen here. Imagine just for a minute, the Sabres someday hosting a Stanley Cup on KeyBank ice," said Quenneville.
Sabres players have yet to hit the ice in the newly renamed center. But they'll have a chance at practice on Thursday.
Fans will get their chance to take in the full KeyBank Center experience when the Sabres take on the Canadiens on Oct. 13.