'Last night's final exhibition game, against the Buffalo Sabres, was an eventful one, if not just for the venue: the 3,000-seat Jack Gatecliff Arena, with an ice surface of just 180-by-70 feet (the NHL standard is 200-by-85). The game was the second half of a reciprocal agreement that brought the Sabres to Ottawa's minor-league affiliate in Binghamton to open the pre-season.'