Move over, Buffaslug, there’s a new bizarre mascot for the Buffalo Sabres and it has the dual meaning of both fan support as well as an epic troll: inflatable palm trees.
No, seriously. They’ve been popping up all over KeyBank Center in the last week after Sabres general manager lamented the difficulties of building a contender on shores of Lake Erie.
“We’re not a destination city right now. We don’t have palm trees, we have taxes in New York and these are things you deal with. I’m in conversations every day and there’s a lot of players that we’re on their (no-trade) list,” Adams said last week. “We need to earn the respect and it starts with getting over the hump, getting in the playoffs and competing.”
You can see how a comment like that wouldn’t sit well with Buffalonians. The Sabres, after all, have a proud history littered with hockey royalty like Tim Horton, Dave Andreychuk, Pat LaFontaine, Ryan Miller and Dominik Hasek and Rick Jeanneret.
Unfortunately, the Sabres have also been stuck in quite the rut for the last decade or so. Buffalo hasn’t reached the postseason since 2010-11 and the prospect of ending that streak in 2024-25 looks bleak. The Sabres are 11-14-4 (26 points) and have the second-worst record in the Atlantic Division.
Fortunately, Sabres fans heard Adams’ concerns and quickly sprung to action to make Buffalo a destination.
WE HAVE PALM TREES IN BUFFALO!!!! #Sabrehood pic.twitter.com/Ml3DmUvxfx
— 🌴𝖂𝖍𝖎𝖙𝖊 𝕮𝖍𝖔𝖈𝖔𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖊 🍫🌴 (@MattyB_923) December 7, 2024
These guys can’t fix the NY taxes, but they have fixed the lack of palm trees. #Sabrehood pic.twitter.com/A98I31JNlF
— Colton Pankiewicz (@ColtonPankiewi1) December 10, 2024
someone threw a palm tree on the ice after the game 💀🌴#sabrehood #selltheteamterry pic.twitter.com/YubIdmNJBY
— 🌴 Suffering Buffalo Sports Fan 🌴 (@_sbsf_) December 10, 2024
I'm ready for tomorrow pic.twitter.com/nrkNJpLY1h
— 🌴🌴rebecca🌴🌴 (@hockeyhamster) December 7, 2024
It’s worth noting many of those same Sabres fans were also chanting “Fire Adams” during the December 7 loss to Utah — the first game after his palm tree comments. It’s also worth noting the NHL’s first place Winnipeg Jets also have zero palm trees within the city limits and are doing just fine.
Still, maybe the palm trees are just what this Sabres team needs to turn the vibes around.
“I have never seen so much unity across Sabres fans as I have with these stupid palm trees,” Buffalo season-ticket holder Rebecca Way told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. “I hate it because we are a joke, but I love it because it’s funny. It brings us together.”
While some fans told ESPN that ushers at KeyBank Center have been patrolling for inflatable palm trees, the team’s president of communications, Nicole Hendricks, clarified the franchise’s stance:
“The only policy we have, which is the same for everything, is you just can’t have something that’s obstructing the view of other fans,” Hendricks told ESPN. “If it is not obstructing a view of other fans, it’s fine to have.”
And if the Sabres do turn things around this season, expect the team to embrace the mighty power of the palms.
“My dream is we turn things around, make the playoffs, and our playoff giveaway is rally towels with palm trees all over it,” Hendricks said.
