NORTH YORK, ON - The final roster for Canada's National Junior Team was named for the 2001 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship from December 26, 2000 to January 5, 2001, Head Coach Stan Butler announced on Monday morning.

The roster includes 20 players from the Canadian Hockey League. The breakdown is as follows: 10 players from the Ontario Hockey League, 8 players from the Western Hockey League, 2 players from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and 2 players from the US College ranks.

Eight players (Ouellet, Bouwmeester, Jackman, McCarthy, Heatley, Lundmark, Reid, Spezza) are returning players, having captured a bronze medal at the 2000 World Junior Hockey Championship. Thirteen of the twenty-two players also have international experience from playing with Canada's National Under 18 Team.

Head coach Stan Butler also announced that defenceman Steve McCarthy, of Trail, BC will be the captain, while defenceman Barret Jackman, of Fruitvale, BC and forward Brandon Reid, of Kirkland, QC will be assistant captains. All three were part of Canada's bronze medal winning team at the 2001 World Junior Hockey Championship.

The roster deletions are the final ones and reduced the National Junior Team Selection Camp roster to 22 players. The 2001 World Junior Hockey Championship will be held in Russia from December 26, 2000 - January 5, 2001.

The team leaves Monday afternoon for Europe for a pre-competition camp in Sweden, where they face the Swedish National Junior Team in two exhibition games on December 20th and December 22nd. Team Canada will be on Air Canada flight 872 to Frankfurt, Germany, leaving Toronto's Pearson Airport at 5:35 pm (Eastern).

Butler (Brampton Battalion, OHL) and assistant coaches Kevin Dickie (Saskatoon Blades, WHL) and Mike Kelly (North Bay Centennials, OHL), along with Barry Trapp, Canadian Hockey's Director of Scouting, have been evaluating the players through daily work-outs, two intra-squad games and two games against a team of Ontario University All-Stars.