Good evening, Buffalo.

Here's what happened today and what you need to know before you call it a night.

The Sabres are back from the Olympic break and they came out swinging. Buffalo edged out New Jersey 2 to 1 at the Prudential Center tonight in their first game since the break. Olympic gold medalist Tage Thompson was back on the ice and the energy was there from puck drop. The Sabres now sit at 33 wins, 19 losses, and 6 overtime losses on the season. Next up they head down to Florida on Friday night to take on the Panthers. Catch the game on MSG.

This is the big one today. After years of delays, stalled construction, and a whole lot of frustration from city leaders, the Heritage Point project at Canalside is finally moving forward for real this time. Terry Pegula is stepping in with his own money to help get the $45 million mixed use development across the finish line. Developer Nick Sinatra confirmed that all the financing is now in place and the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation is requiring construction to restart no later than April 1st. The project will include 61 apartments plus restaurant, retail, and office space right on the waterfront. Governor Hochul had publicly expressed frustration about the lack of progress earlier this year. The goal now is to have it done by the end of 2027.

Great news for downtown. The Market Arcade 8 on Main Street is reopening in April under a new operator. Schenectady based Scene One Entertainment signed a five year lease with property owner Benchmark Group to take over the eight screen theater that AMC walked away from back in December. Scene One plans to show a mix of first run Hollywood movies, independent films, foreign films, and classics. They are also looking into hosting film festivals and keeping the full bar that AMC had. Mayor Sean Ryan called it exactly the kind of progress the Theatre District needs.

The NFL Combine is heating up in Indianapolis. Today was the first day of actual on field workouts with defensive linemen, linebackers, and kickers running drills at Lucas Oil Stadium. For Bills fans, the big news off the field is that Brandon Beane restructured Spencer Brown's contract and freed up $10.4 million in cap space. That is a huge deal because the Bills were about $10 million over the cap heading into this offseason. Beane also said he wants to keep tight end Dawson Knox but hinted that Knox may need to take a pay cut to stay. Wide receiver and defensive depth remain the top priorities. The most talked about draft prospect for Buffalo at pick number 26 is edge rusher Akheem Mesidor out of Miami. Tomorrow is the big day for defensive backs and tight ends, two positions the Bills are watching closely.

A second suspension has hit the Buffalo Police Department in connection with the ongoing investigation into an officer accused of killing his wife. Captain Lashondra Roach has been suspended with pay after reports surfaced about a conversation she had with the accused officer. The investigation is still developing and more details are expected in the coming days.

Right now it is 22°F and partly cloudy. Bundle up if you are heading out. Tomorrow is looking beautiful though. Plenty of sunshine with a high near 41°F. Saturday stays mild around 41°F before a cold front moves in Sunday and drops us back down to the low 20s with possible light snow.

The NFL Combine continues with defensive backs and tight ends on the field. Artpark concert tickets for Ziggy Marley and Blackberry Smoke go on sale at 10 AM. The Sabres play the Panthers in Florida.

That's your evening wrap from The Buffalo Buzz. Drop a comment below and tell us what story caught your eye today. We read every single one.

See you tomorrow morning, Buffalo. 🦬

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