Staal cleared for Classic

According to the Globe and Mail and CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, Thunder Bay’s Marc Staal is set to make his 2011-12 debut at Monday’s Winter Classic Game in Philadelphia.

The New York Rangers defenceman hasn’t played since last season, suffering the effects of post-concussion syndrome following a hit last February by older brother Eric Staal, captain of the Carolina Hurricanes.

“I don’t care about anyone else’s opinion, are you ready to play?” Tortorella said he asked the 24-year-old, according to espn.com, as reported in the Globe and Mail.

“He said he was, so he’s playing ... I need a yes or a no. I got a yes from my trainer, a yes from my doctor and more importantly I got a yes from the player. He’s going to play. I don’t care if we’re playing in the creek somewhere, he’s going to play.”

Staal , an alternate captain with the Rangers, has been taking part in full-contact practices for the past week.