No, the inflatable palm trees showing up at Buffalo Sabres home games lately are not attempts by Western New Yorkers to keep the realities of lake effect winter at bay. The growingly pervasive iconography is a rebellious response to a comment from the team's general manager in recent weeks.
After some fans were supposedly asked to discard or deflate their palm trees, rumors grew about Sabres management instituting a "no palm tree policy" at games. Nicole Hendricks, VP of communications and hockey operations told ESPN that the only policy the Sabres have is that items can't obstruct the viewing experience of other fans. Nothing about palm trees in particular.
