The Sabres next season "will be playing in the renamed KeyBank Center" as a byproduct of the "pending KeyCorp acquisition of First Niagara Financial Group," according to James Fink of BUFFALO BUSINESS FIRST. This marks the fourth time in the downtown Buffalo venue's 20-year history "a name change has occurred." The name change "must be approved" by the NHL, a move that is "expected this summer." KeyCorp Chair & CEO Beth Mooney conceded that the new name will not take effect until the fall, meaning the bank "will miss the exposure" when the arena hosts the NHL Draft on June 24-25. The KeyBank name change "had been anticipated since the deal between the two banks was announced last fall." Mooney and First Niagara President & CEO Gary Crosby said that the KeyCorp deal with the Sabres "will pick up 'on all the benefits'" from the 15-year deal signed with First Niagara in '11 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 5/11). In Buffalo, Matt Glynn in a front-page piece notes KeyBank "already has its name on another sports facility" in Seattle that was home of the SuperSonics "before the team moved to Oklahoma City" (BUFFALO NEWS, 5/12).
