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Marc Staal won’t be like his brother and debut at Winter Classic

2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic - Practice Sessions

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 1: Marc Staal #18 of the New York Rangers skates during practice for the 2012 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park on January 1, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)

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Marc Staal and Jordan Staal might be brothers but they’re not twins by relation or in news making.

Unlike Jordan in last year’s Winter Classic in Pittsburgh, Marc won’t be making his season debut at the Winter Classic as John Tortorella made abundantly clear after the team’s practice yesterday afternoon.

“I told my trainer, I need a yes or a no. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to speculate. I don’t want percentages. I want a yes or a no. When I get a yes, he’ll play. Nothing has changed.”

After seeing Staal wheeling around on the ice at Citizens Bank Park and looking pretty good doing it and going through all the motions, you had to wonder if maybe there would be another miraculous storyline centering around a Staal brother. Tortorella says that the setting and the game isn’t changing anything.

“Just because we skated outdoors doesn’t change anything that’s gone on the past couple of weeks. He must feel maybe brighter because of the fresh air, I don’t know, but nothing’s changed. So don’t work me on it, okay?”

All right Torts, all right... Please don’t hurt us.

It’s good to see that the Rangers are making absolutely sure that Staal is ready to go before playing him, but you know it’s killing him to not be able to play in today’s game. Maybe he’ll get a chance to play in another Winter Classic in the future.