Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher has been cleared by team doctors and will play in Friday's Winter Classic against the Boston Bruins. 

The team confirmed his return to the lineup through a tweet posted following Thursday's practice at Gillette Stadium. 


The 23-year-old has missed 17 games with a hand injury that he suffered when blocking a shot. He was expected to miss six weeks following surgery to repair two fractured fingers. 


He has 19 points in 22 games this season and will provide a much-needed boost to the Canadiens, who are 2-8-0 in their last 10 games.