A powerful snowstorm is expected to barrel down on Western New York on Saturday has not, as of now, affected the San Jose Sharks’ plans to fly into Buffalo following their game with the Ottawa Senators.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Saturday declared that a full driving ban for Erie County would go into effect at 9 p.m. (EST) when a storm that’s projected to bring up to two feet of snow is expected to blanket the Buffalo region over 24 hours.
Nearly every arriving flight into Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Saturday has already been canceled.
The Sharks’ game with the Senators begins at 4 p.m. (EST) and might not end until 6:30 p.m. or later. A direct flight from Ottawa to Buffalo takes less than one hour, and a Sharks spokesman said the team expects to arrive before 9 p.m.
The Sharks are scheduled to play the Buffalo Sabres at noon (EST) on Monday.
The Sharks are still monitoring the situation and are in touch with local authorities, the team spokesman said.
The impending storm led the NFL on Saturday to push back the Buffalo Bills’ wild-card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers from Sunday to Monday at 4:30 p.m. (EST).
Because of that change, the Sharks’ game against the Buffalo Sabres was moved up one hour.
“The decision to move the game to Monday was made in consultation with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in the best interest of public safety,” the NFL and Bills said in a joint statement, “and with the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the region prepares for the storm.”