First Niagara Financial Group Sets New Date to Announce 2nd Quarter 2009 Results

LOCKPORT, N.Y., July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- First Niagara Financial
Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: FNFG), today announced that it will release 2009 second
quarter earnings before the market opens on Friday, July 17, 2009. A
conference call will follow at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, in which management
will discuss the Company's financial results and business strategy, followed
by a question-and-answer session.

Those wishing to participate in the call may dial toll-free 1-877-709-8150. A
replay of the call will be available until July 31, 2009 by dialing
1-877-660-6853, account #240, ID # 327034.

First Niagara Financial Group, Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary First
Niagara Bank, has assets of $9.6 billion and deposits of $6.2 billion at March
31, 2009. First Niagara Bank is a community-oriented bank providing financial
services to individuals, families and businesses through 113 branches and four
Regional Market Centers across Upstate New York. In April 2009, the Company
announced plans to add another 57 branches in Pittsburgh, Warren and Erie,
Pa., additional deposits of $4.2 billion and additional loans of $839 million
in an acquisition that is expected to close in September 2009. For more
information, visit www.fnfg.com.

SOURCE First Niagara Financial Group, Inc.

Officer Contacts: John R. Koelmel, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Michael W. Harrington, Chief Financial Officer, Anthony M. Alessi, Investor
Relations Manager, +1-716-625-7692, tony.alessi@fnfg.com, or Leslie G.
Garrity, Public Relations and Corporate Communications Manager,
+1-716-625-7528, leslie.garrity@fnfg.com; or Corporate Information: First
Niagara Financial Group Inc., +1-800-201-6621; or Transfer Agent and
Registrar, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, +1-877-785-9670