Marc Staal joins Rangers on road trip

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Marc Staal and two other injured players joined the Rangers on this holiday road trip so they can continue to get treatment and enjoy a Thanksgiving feast with their teammates.

Staal, who has been out since February with a concussion, has been kept under wraps by the Rangers, who are reluctant to give any updates on his condition or allow him to give interviews until he is closer to playing.

But it was a positive sign that the All-Star defenseman made his first trip. Staal was cleared for light workouts last week. There is no timetable for his return.

Wojtek Wolski (hernia) and Mike Rupp (knee) also made the trip. The Rangers play in Washington Friday. "Just wanted a chance to continue working with them," coach John Tortorella said before the Rangers played the Panthers Wednesday night. "We're gone for three days and those guys need some work . . . That's all it is. He's just traveling with us to get some work."

Star power?

Staal is 24th among defensemen in the first week of voting for the All-Star Game with 27,323 votes. Dan Girardi, a write-in, is 18th (37,836).

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The closest Ranger to the top spot is Henrik Lundqvist, who is fifth among goalies with 65,441 votes. Boston's Tim Thomas is tops with 95,681. Marian Gaborik is No. 21 among forwards (47,980). The All-Star Game will be played Jan. 29 in Ottawa.

Winter Classic

The Rangers will unveil their Winter Classic jerseys on Monday via their official Facebook page. There will be a live stream of the event at 4 p.m . . . HBO will present a 12-minute preview of its upcoming reality series, "24/7 Flyers/Rangers" Friday at 9:15 p.m.