Dear Reader — The product the Buffalo Sabres put on the ice this past National Hockey League season was certainly not that entertaining for their fans. The Sabres hockey team was anything but good.
But the product the Sabres had off the ice was an entirely different story. That Sabres team put on an entertaining show every home game, both in the stands and even on the ice.
One of the members of that off-ice Sabres team is Kelsey Landers. Her official job title is Game Presentation Coordinator.
“It is a very tough department to explain to people what you do,” explained Landers, a native of Gasport, NY. “The best way I can describe it is if you come to a Sabres game, any part of the experience that isn’t the game itself I have a hand behind it.
“So when you first enter the building it is my interns handing out the programs or promotional giveaways. I work with the DJ who plays the music in the building.
“Any type of pre-game ceremony I have a hand in.”
It should be clarified here that the “team” that Landers is a part of is made up of two people. Ironically, the other person’s first name just happens to be Kelsey. That would be Kelsey Schneider, Director of Game Presentation.
“We call it ‘Kelsey Squared,’ Game Presentation,” said a smiling Landers, a graduate of Royalton-Hartland High School. She continued.
“Any graphic you see, one of us had to load every video that is played during the game. We have a script for every game.
“If there is a sponsor for the game, we have to make sure that is mixed in there. So anything that happens when the game is not being played goes through the two of us.
“Plus, we coordinate with a lot of people in the arena. Fans don’t realize that it takes a lot of other people to make off-ice events happen. It is really one big team.”
So how did Landers get involved with a job like this with the Sabres?
“I was a communications major in college,” remarked Landers, a graduate of Medaille College. “Fortunately Medaille’s program made you do three internships.
“My first one was with the Buffalo Bisons and it was doing what I do today. My third and final one was with the Sabres.
“I finished in the spring of 2012 and never left the Sabres. They hired me and I’m still here today.”
Landers admits that she still gets a special feeling and excited when she gives the order of “go house black” and the lights go out and the video begins.
Sabres games are not the only event Landers handles. She is responsible for all Buffalo Bandits games, the 30 World Jr. Ice Hockey Championship games as well as other events going on at KeyBank Center.
“I got engaged Christmas morning and told my fiancé’ I would see him in 10 days,” joked Landers, who is engaged to Guy Giordano. “I was off to the World Jr’s that afternoon.”
Landers says the job has its rewards.
“I think the best ‘high’ in the world is a well executed pre-game ceremony,” concluded Landers, who resides now in Buffalo. “You work so hard at it and you have this vision of what it should look like.
“So when it unfolds before your eyes just the way you envisioned it, well, it just doesn’t get any better than that.”
Until Next Time,
Randy Schultz
