Why were there so many Benjamin Franklins at the NY Islanders game last night?

"There was an odd sight at the New York Islanders game on Saturday night at UBS Arena, one that had nothing to do with line combinations or special teams. As the MSG Network cameras scanned the lower bowl during the Islanders' matchup against the Nashville Predators, they landed on a group that looked less like hockey fans and more like a printing error at the U.S. Mint: eight Benjamin Franklins, all dressed alike, sitting together and taking in the game."

""That's something new for me at a hockey game," said Islanders color analyst Thomas Hickey, sounding equal parts amused and genuinely perplexed. His booth partner, Brendan Burke, leaned into the moment. "It's all about the Benjamins... they're into it, guys," Burke quipped, as the camera cut back to the identical Founding Fathers nodding along to the action on the ice. "They look remarkably alike," Hickey added, stating the obvious in a way that somehow made it funnier."

"Of course, this wasn't a time-travel experiment gone wrong. It was a clever in-arena extension of the New York Lottery's ad campaign, which has turned Benjamin Franklin into a dry-witted, ever-present observer of modern life. Seeing him multiplied and placed rinkside felt perfectly on-brand. Later in the game, the Islanders featured them on the scoreboard, explaining how fans could "multiply their Benjamins" up to 100 times by playing a lottery game."

Eight fans dressed as Benjamin Franklin attended the New York Islanders game at UBS Arena, drawing camera attention during the matchup with the Nashville Predators. Broadcast commentators reacted with amused surprise and playful remarks about the identical appearances. The group represented an in-arena extension of the New York Lottery's ad campaign that casts Benjamin Franklin as a dry-witted, omnipresent observer. The Islanders used the scoreboard to explain how fans could "multiply their Benjamins" up to 100 times by playing a lottery game. The Franklins added texture to the arena atmosphere alongside celebrity appearances and rising prospects, though fans preferred a team win.

Read at Eyes On Isles