Marvel actor and former professional ice hockey goaltender Wyatt Russell showed up in Buffalo on Saturday and made good on his promise to plunge into Lake Erie if the Sabres made the playoffs.
That’s exactly what happened, as Russell joined a crowd of fired-up Sabres fans at Woodlawn Beach one day before Buffalo opens its first playoff game in 14 years against the Boston Bruins.
Earlier in the season, Russell said he would take the plunge if the Sabres ended their drought. When former Sabres tough guy Rob Ray called him out, and with Buffalo finally back in the postseason, sure enough, he followed through.
Back in late November, after launching his Lake Hour vodka line, he joked on Instagram that if the Sabres made the playoffs, he’d jump into Lake Erie and chug a Lake Hour out of a beer sabre. He even added that if Buffalo won the Stanley Cup, he would go over Niagara Falls in a canoe.
Wyatt Russell joins Buffalo fans in Lake Erie
Russell didn’t just appear for a quick photo op. He got right in with the crowd as fans packed the beach, chanted “Let’s Go Buffalo,” and celebrated one of the biggest moments for the city in years.
The actor also echoed fan sentiments and repeated, “F—, Boston!”
“Guys, this is awesome for you. 14 years. I really do love the sport of hockey. I love the Sabres and the way that they play. You guys are the best fans I’ve ever experienced in my life,” he said.
Before heading into the water, Russell told fans to be safe and not go too deep. The conditions were windy, the water was choppy, and while the air felt nice at around 75 degrees, the lake was still cold enough to make the plunge a real one.
That didn’t stop Buffalo.
Fans poured into the water with Russell as the beach turned into a full-on Sabres playoff party. At one point, Russell raised a Buffalo Sabres sword in the air while joining in the chants.
In another moment, a fan could be heard calling him “our new favorite Avenger” as Russell clashed swords with the fan.
Wyatt Russell was also promoting Lake Hour
Russell was also in Buffalo to promote his premium canned cocktail brand, Lake Hour, which he co-founded with producer Rich Peete.
The brand offers vodka seltzers, tequila seltzers, and vodka iced teas, and the company pitches the drinks with a laid-back outdoors vibe centered around lake life, sunsets, and hanging out with friends.
Free Lake Hour drinks were handed out to fans at the event, though in typical Buffalo fashion, they went fast.
The turnout made it clear Russell picked the right weekend to show up. The Sabres are back in the playoffs, the city is buzzing, and Buffalo fans were more than ready to welcome him into the mix.
Russell cracked open a can of Lake Hour, poured it into the Sabres beer sword, and shotgunned it as the crowd roared and fans joined right in.
Marvel fans also wanted Avengers answers
Of course, with Russell in town, Marvel fans had questions too.
Russell, who plays John Walker in the MCU and who starred recently in Thunderbolts*, kept quiet when asked about Avengers: Doomsday, which just debuted new footage at CinemaCon this week.
When asked if his character survives the movie, Russell looked up but didn’t answer. Pressed for more, he simply said, “You’ll have to go watch it.”
That was all Marvel fans were getting.
Sabres playoff fever is taking over Buffalo
The timing couldn’t have been better.
Russell’s plunge came the day before the Sabres host the Bruins in Game 1 of the First Round at KeyBank Center, with Buffalo set for its first home playoff game in years. After a 14-season drought, the city is finally getting its playoff moment, and the energy around Buffalo has clearly reached another level.
Russell jumping into Lake Erie with Sabres fans only added to it.
What could have been a fun little stunt turned into an epic Buffalo moment, with a Marvel actor, a beach packed with blue and gold, and a fan base ready to explode for playoff hockey.
Russell and Lake Hour will also host a tailgate Sunday ahead of the Sabres’ first playoff game of 2026 at 239 Michigan Ave. downtown. Russell is also expected to be in attendance for Sunday night’s game.
