Guelli focused on enhancing KeyBank Center experience as incoming Sabres COO 

Pete Guelli saw a unique opportunity to apply his decades of experience in professional sports when he was approached about the opportunity of working as chief operating officer for both the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bills, a title he officially received Tuesday.  

Guelli spent the last five years as chief business officer of the New York Giants and previously worked with the Bills as the team’s senior vice president of business ventures from 1998 to 2009. But his decade with the Charlotte Hornets – where he began as EVP, chief marketing and sales officer in 2009 and later earned a promotion to COO – gave him insight into the potential surrounding the Sabres.

The fact that the opportunity presented a chance for Guelli – a native of Rochester and a graduate of Aquinas High School and SUNY Brockport – to return to Western New York was icing on the cake.

“When the request initially came in to interview me, I wasn’t completely sure exactly what the scope of the role was going to be, but I prepared to have the conversation about both organizations because I just think there’s a lot of synergy there and I think there’s a lot of opportunity with my background to help in both areas,” Guelli said.

“[I] quickly found out that both teams were a hot topic when we met. We spoke as much about the Sabres as we did about the Bills. Terry and his family are incredibly passionate about the team. So, having my background of working in the arena side, I was really excited to have that conversation.”

Guelli joined the Hornets in 2009 as the team transitioned to new ownership under Michael Jordan, a transition he helped lead. His resume there included spearheading the organization’s rebranding from the Bobcats to the Hornets in 2014, leading efforts to secure a new television rights deal, overseeing the launch of a G League team, and managing the renovation of Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

Guelli’s time in Charlotte left him with an appreciation for the role an arena plays in a community – not only as a home to its sports franchise, but as a hub for year-round entertainment. He came away from conversations with Sabres owner Terry Pegula eager to apply those lessons to the fan experience at KeyBank Center.

“I can’t wait to get to work on the Sabres,” Guelli said. “The potential there, I think, is incredible. I spent 10 years working in an arena model down in Charlotte and I know exactly how it needs to operate. Those buildings are community assets, they’re the staples of the city, and they’re the catalyst for growth in markets if they’re handled the right way.”

Guelli will work with Rob Minter, who served as interim COO for the Sabres and will now work as senior vice president of business operations, and the rest of the organization’s leadership upon arriving in Buffalo. He has already spoken with general manager Kevyn Adams and coach Don Granato about the on-ice product, with hopes that an enhanced experience at KeyBank Center can align with the timing of a young, growing team.

Whereas Guelli saw a blank canvas upon joining the Hornets, his history in Buffalo – which overlapped with some of the most successful teams in Sabres history during the late 1990s and mid-2000s – gives him a keen understanding of the potential surrounding the franchise.

“I’m hopeful that we get everything right with the arena, that the team is growing at the perfect time and everything comes together,” he said. “I’ve seen it, and when that happens it’s a special time. I was in Buffalo when that barn was full every night and the TV ratings were through the roof.”

The Sabres have already announced plans to install a state-of-the-art videoboard as well as a new roof at KeyBank Center for the 2024-25 season.

“Terry and I have had lengthy conversations about the Sabres and he’s incredibly committed and passionate about that team,” Guelli said. “I don’t think anybody wants to see it be more successful than him. I think there’s some things with the arena that we need to take a look at.

“I mean, it’s all about experience. You can’t control exactly what’s going to happen on the ice, but you can control what people see and do from the minute they step on the street to the minute they’re in their seat. So, that will be a focus, kind of going through that process, making sure the experience is great, feeling like the value proposition is great.”