HALIFAX (NOVA SCOTIA) - Canada's National Junior Team made it's final four player releases on Monday morning by releasing four players and returning them to their respective Canadian Hockey League teams: goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (Chicoutimi, QMJHL), defencemen Trevor Daley (Sault Ste. Marie, OHL) and Braydon Coburn (Portland, WHL) and forward Erik Christensen (Kamloops, WHL), Head Coach Marc Habscheid announced.

The six-day selection camp serves to prepare and choose the team that will represent Canada at the 2003 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship in Halifax and Sydney, NS from - . The team will introduce the 22 selected players (20 skaters and two goaltenders) on Monday at the Halifax Metro Centre before departing for Antigonish, NS and it's pre-competition camp.

Habscheid (Kelowna Rockets, WHL), with assistant coaches Mario Durocher (Sherbrooke, QMJHL) and Mike Kelly, along with Blair Mackasey, Canadian Hockey's Head Scout, have been evaluating the players as they have now been through daily work-outs, two intra-squad games and two exhibition games against the Atlantic University All-Stars. In the second of the two games, Canada edged the Atlantic University All-Stars 3-2. Brooks Laich (Wawota, SK) scored twice for a second straight game to lead Canada's scorers. Goaltender Marc-André Fleury (Sorel, QC) made 27 saves on 27 shots while playing the first period for Canada and third period for the All-Stars.

Players and the coaching staff will be available for a media photo opportunity and interviews at 10am at the Halifax Metro Centre.

Canada's National Junior Team will continue it's preparation in Antigonish, and play two international exhibition games on December 20th vs. Slovakia (7pm Atlantic) in Sydney, NS and on December 23rd vs. Finland (8pm Atlantic) in Halifax, NS.