THE BENNY DORO COLLECTION
Ed beneath the Madison Square Garden scoreboard

A NIGHT AT THE GARDEN

THE
ONE-DOLLAR
BET.

Ed. Benny. The Garden.
Two teams. One very expensive dollar.

SEPTEMBER01
NEW YORK CITYMADISON
SQUARE
GARDEN
THE WAGER $1.00
ED’S CANUCKS / BENNY’S RANGERS
New York Rangers logoNEW YORK
RANGERS
VS.
Vancouver Canucks logoVANCOUVER
CANUCKS
Madison Square Garden logo
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

AT THE GLASS · A NIGHT AT THE GARDEN

Home ice.
Visiting loyalties.

Ed’s Canucks. Benny’s Rangers. A one-dollar wager, seats right by the glass, and a night that ended 6–3 for Vancouver.

IN BENNY’S WORDS

The story behind the dollar.

Original commentary · 1:25

Read the full transcript ↓

01 / ARRIVAL

His Canucks.
My Rangers.

Ed’s first Rangers game at Madison Square Garden. His beloved Canucks were the visitors.

In the seats at Madison Square Garden.
In the seats at Madison Square Garden.

02 / THE BET · AT THE GLASS

Close enough to feel it.

Right up against the glass, with the Rangers on the ice.
Right up against the glass, with the Rangers on the ice.

One dollar.
Two allegiances.

THE WAGER$1.00
“I said, let’s make a bet. I bet you one dollar we’re gonna win.”

03 / THE GAME

Vancouver
shoots twice.

From these seats, Ed got to see his team shoot twice.

“We had some of the greatest seats.”
Vancouver’s goaltender at the net, photographed through the glass.
Vancouver’s goaltender at the net, photographed through the glass.

04 / THE RESULT

VANCOUVER 6.NEW YORK 3.

Ed won. Benny lost a dollar.

The final score above the ice: Vancouver 6, Rangers 3.
The final score above the ice: Vancouver 6, Rangers 3.

05 / THE AFTERMATH

The dollar was
the cheap part.

“Well, several hundred dollars of beer and snacks later, Ed won.”
A beer at the glass.
A beer at the glass.
Ed, after the game.
Ed, after the game.

06 / A DOLLAR DOWN. A MEMORY UP.

“Ed lost his mind.
I lost a dollar.”

Ed at Madison Square Garden, arms wide.
Ed at Madison Square Garden, arms wide.

“I think you still have the dollar too, right?”

BET SETTLED $1

EPILOGUE

YEARS LATER. SAME TEAM.

Watching the Rangers.
Back at my place.

Benny in his Rangers jersey with a guitar, at home at 24 Avenue at Port Imperial.
Benny in his Rangers jersey with a guitar, at home at 24 Avenue at Port Imperial.

These are from another time, watching the Rangers at my place at 24 Avenue at Port Imperial.

I crowbarred a few pictures of myself into this chapter—there were already so many of us at the game.

A SEPARATE MEMORY · MAY 2012

Another night. Same Rangers jersey.
Another night. Same Rangers jersey.
Rangers hockey at home. May 2012.
Rangers hockey at home. May 2012.
Full audio transcript 1:25 ↓

Benny’s original commentary. Select a timestamp to listen from that point. Unclear words are marked in brackets.

All right, continuing in the world of Ed [surname unclear] in New York, this little series was taken

on September 1st, 2005. It was at Madison Square Gardens. It was Vancouver at the Rangers,

and Vancouver won six to three. The big story, though, is that Ed and I bet.

Since this was Ed’s first time at a Rangers game at Madison Square Garden, seeing his beloved

Canucks, which I believe [Luongo?] is in the net, um, I said, “Let’s make a bet. I bet you one dollar we’re gonna win.”

Well, several hundred dollars of beer and snacks later, Ed won. And as [unclear] can see, he really won.

We had some of the greatest seats. Got to see

Vancouver shoot twice, which was great for Ed. And Madison Square Garden—there’s nothing like it.

We were right up against the glass, and, uh, Ed lost his mind. I lost a dollar. And we made a little

[unclear] history at the time. So, Ed, I hope you enjoy hockey night in New York City with Ed and Ben.

I think you still have the dollar too, right?