Josh Allen and key members of the Buffalo Bills showed support for the Buffalo Sabres after their thrilling 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Bills are also preparing for the NFL Draft this week under new head coach Joe Brady.
Key points
Josh Allen supports the Buffalo Sabres
Sabres won 4-3 against the Bruins in Game 1
Buffalo Bills preparing for NFL Draft
Joe Brady is the new head coach of the Bills
Bills' voluntary program is underway
Mentioned in this story
Josh AllenJoe Brady
Buffalo BillsBuffalo SabresStanley Cup Playoffs 2026
ORCHARD PARK - There are big things happening for the Buffalo Bills this week as their voluntary program, the first under the stewardship of new head coach Joe Brady, is in full swing, and preparations for the NFL Draft, which commences Thursday night, are at a fever pitch.
But that didnât stop the key members of the organization - Brady, president/general manager Brandon Beane, and quarterback Josh Allen - from being fully invested with what happened Sunday night at KeyBank Arena.
During their separate media sessions Monday afternoon, all three spurned their Billsâ gear and showed their support of the Buffalo Sabres following their incredible come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal Stanley Cup playoff series.
Buffalo Sabres fans wait for the doors to open before a game against the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson tries to block a pass by Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak during the first period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
Q&A
What was the score of the Sabres vs. Bruins Game 1 playoff match?
The Buffalo Sabres won Game 1 against the Boston Bruins with a score of 4-3.
Who is the new head coach of the Buffalo Bills?
The new head coach of the Buffalo Bills is Joe Brady.
What significant event is happening for the Buffalo Bills this week?
The Buffalo Bills are participating in their voluntary program and preparing for the NFL Draft this week.
How did Josh Allen and other Bills members show support for the Sabres?
Josh Allen, along with president/general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Joe Brady, wore Sabres gear during their media sessions to support the team.
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Fans waits for the doors to open prior to a game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period against the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
Fans wait for the doors to open before a game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak makes a drop pass as Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram defends during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson celebrates his second goal of the game with teammates during the third period against the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson looks to make a pass as Boston Bruins center Fraser Minten defends during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
The Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins players get into a scrum after the whistle during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
Buffalo Sabres right wing Jack Quinn skates with the puck as Boston Bruins defenseman Jonathan Aspirot defends during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
Boston Bruins center Mark Kastelic tries to control the puck as Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin defends during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
Boston Bruins defenseman Jonathan Aspirot tries to block a shot by Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
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Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Buffalo Sabres fans wait for the doors to open before a game against the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
1 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Buffalo Sabres fans wait for the doors to open before a game against the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
2 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson tries to block a pass by Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak during the first period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
3 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Fans waits for the doors to open prior to a game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
4 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period against the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
5 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Fans wait for the doors to open before a game between the Buffalo Sabres and the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres rallied to win, 4-3.
6 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak makes a drop pass as Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram defends during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
7 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson celebrates his second goal of the game with teammates during the third period against the Boston Bruins in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
8 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson looks to make a pass as Boston Bruins center Fraser Minten defends during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
9 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
The Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins players get into a scrum after the whistle during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
10 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Buffalo Sabres right wing Jack Quinn skates with the puck as Boston Bruins defenseman Jonathan Aspirot defends during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
11 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Boston Bruins center Mark Kastelic tries to control the puck as Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin defends during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
12 / 12
Sabres seize playoff spotlight with dramatic Game 1 rally past Bruins
Boston Bruins defenseman Jonathan Aspirot tries to block a shot by Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson during the second period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at KeyBank Center.
First, Allen walked into the media room fully decked out in a Sabres hoodie and baseball cap, then Beane came in wearing a different version of both, and finally Brady showed off a OneBuffalo sweatshirt.
âThat environment was pretty cool,â said Beane, who attended the game along with Brady and several players. âItâs interesting watching a team who youâre rooting for, but you didnât acquire the players or youâre not in charge of anything there. Youâre just watching as a fan. Thatâs the first playoff hockey game Iâve ever been to. Everybody says playoff hockeyâs different. I would say maybe itâs even another level in Buffalo.â
Allen was not in attendance because he was flying into Buffalo from his offseason home to attend the voluntary OTA sessions.
âUnfortunately was not there last night. I was on a plane, but I landed and obviously the whole plane was going nuts,â he said with a smile. âGot to watch the highlights right after. Talk about electric. That was fun to watch the highlights.â
Josh Allen is back in Buffalo, attending practices and Sabres playoff games.
Josh Allen is back in Buffalo, attending practices and Sabres playoff games.
Allen has experienced the incredible atmosphere that has existed at Highmark Stadium ever since he arrived as the Billsâ No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 draft. He has led the Bills to seven consecutive postseason berths, while the Pegula familyâs other major pro franchise, the Sabres, had missed the playoffs an NHL record 14 consecutive years before breaking through this season.
Allen, who has attended plenty of Sabres games in the past, plans to be in the building for Game 2 Tuesday night and he knows the chaos heâll be walking into.
âJust for the city of Buffalo, I think itâs a better place when the Sabres are playing well, and it being the first playoff game in 15 years and to go in there and win the way that they did, that showed a lot of grit, showed a lot of heart,â Allen said.
âItâs a team that people I think kind of wrote off at the beginning part of the season. Theyâve come together rather quickly and theyâre playing for each other and you can see that, you can feel that. I think the buzz in the city right now is electric. We talked about OneBuffalo for the longest time with the Pegulas and itâs been fun to watch them progress and now going into the playoffs rolling.â
Here are a few other topics Allen spoke about Monday:
Fatherhood is everything he hoped it would be
Allen and his wife, actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld, welcomed their daughter into the world a few weeks ago and like any new parent, it has been an overwhelming exciting time.
âI am very excited, and I do think this is going to be the best version of myself in all aspects in my professional career and my personal life,â he said. âItâs such a blessing, and Iâve got an absolute rock star of a wife thatâs doing so many things right now and allowing me to be here right now and be with my teammates, so yes, special times. No (havenât slept), but I wouldnât want it any other way. Itâs very rewarding.â
He hasnât really been involved in draft prep
Allenâs opinion is sought after on many issues surrounding the team, from his input on draft picks to signing free agents. But he admitted this spring, with the arrival of the baby, he hasnât been too plugged in.
âTo be quite honest, Iâve been in this baby bubble, the baby loop as I like to call it, so I couldnât tell you whatâs going on with the draft and whoâs going where and how many picks each team has,â he said. âJust excited to welcome our new guys and I know that our front office has been working extremely hard. Whoever that may be, weâre going to welcome them with open arms and try to bring them in as quickly as possible to try to win us a Super Bowl.â
Getting back Connor McGovern was important
Josh Allen was thrilled to get center Connor McGovern back before he hit free agency.
Josh Allen was thrilled to get center Connor McGovern back before he hit free agency.
McGovern, who has been Allenâs center for three seasons, was nearly out the door as an undrafted free agent. In fact, he thought for sure the Bills werenât going to re-sign him before he hit the market and he called Allen to, in essence, say goodbye.
âHe gave me a call and it was the day before free agency was about to hit,â Allen said. âHe basically told me he was saying goodbye, and I was like just give me one second, you know, and I just gave Beane a call and heâs like, âIâm working on it.â So I didnât really have much to do with it, but yeah, itâs awesome to have him back.â
The quarterback-center relationship is critical and Allen has worked with two very good ones in Mitch Morse and now McGovern, so he was thrilled to get his guy back.
âYeah, the continuity, Mike points, protection calls, having someone I can lean on and rely on, and just the comfort of his personality, too, being able to joke with him and kind of know the ins and outs,â he said. âSo yeah, itâs a very familiar feeling. Itâs awesome.â
He has pretty much healed from foot surgery
Josh Allen aggravated an old foot injury when sacked by Cleveland's Myles Garrett late last year, and it ultimately necessitated offseason surgery.
Josh Allen aggravated an old foot injury when sacked by Cleveland's Myles Garrett late last year, and it ultimately necessitated offseason surgery.
The last time reporters saw Allen, he hobbled into the media room in late January on crutches, fresh off foot surgery. No crutches Monday and he could probably play a game right now if there was one to play.
He learned from the surgeon that the bone that was broken in his foot was from an injury he incurred at some point earlier in his football career, and he aggravated it against Cleveland.
âIt was actually kind of a previous deal that I never knew I had, and that just kind of jolted it loose,â he said of the play where Myles Garrett sacked him. âWhen we looked at it after that Cleveland game, it was like this wasnât a fresh break. At some point, whether it was five, 10, maybe even 15 years ago, something had happened and it just kind of calloused over and basically had set so it wasnât painful until (the Garrett play).
âA little piece of bone just kind of broke off and was floating in there. It was kind of like a small rock. They literally just cut it out, left it on the table and sewed it back up. Scar tissue will form around it and it feels really good right now. I donât feel like I have any limitations.â
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for more than four decades including 37 years as the full-time beat writer/columnist for the D&C. He has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
