The hockey fans of Buffalo are proving that their passion for the sport does not wane, even when the Sabres have a miserable points percentage — the worst in their history.

The enthusiasm of Buffalonians is local, national and yearlong.

Buffalo was the highest-rated market in the regular season for NBC and NBCSN’s national games and, with Sabres games, generated the second-highest local cable rating in the N.H.L. (Pittsburgh had the highest.)

“Hockey’s in the area’s blood, like chicken wings,” said Alan Pergament, a television critic for The Buffalo News.

Ken Martin, the N.H.L.’s vice president for community relations and a Buffalo native, has observed the city’s vibrant hockey culture.