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.

The Franklins didn’t distract from the game so much as they added texture to it, another reminder that hockey in this market is as much about the scene as the score. UBS Arena has become a place where you can see the likely Calder Trophy winner, Matthew Schaefer, the occasional celebrity appearance (Shakira, Reese Witherspoon, a member of a local pro team), or eight versions of a Founding Father enjoying a Saturday night on Long Island.

Fans would've preferred seeing a win, and ways to multiply their points in the standings.