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WINNIPEG, MANITOBA - Canada's National Junior Team released four Western Hockey League players today. Released were defenceman Burke Henry of the Brandon Wheat Kings and forwards Mike Brown of the Kamloops Blazers, Dylan Gyori of the Tri-City Americans and Brett Lysak of the Regina Pats, head coach Tom Renney announced.

The roster deletions reduced the National Junior Team Selection Camp roster to 30 players after three days of the six day camp to choose the team that will represent Canada at the 1999 World Junior Hockey Championship centred in Winnipeg, MB from December 26 - January 5, 1999. The team will take 22 players, 20 skaters and two goaltenders, to the World Junior Championship.

Renney and assistant coaches Stan Butler (Brampton Battalion, Ontario Hockey League) and Claude Julien (Hull, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League), along with Barry Trapp, Canadian Hockey's Director of Scouting, have been evaluating the players as they go through twice daily work-outs, and a pair of intra-squad games.

This morning's 11 am practice session will only feature those players not participating in tonight's exhibition match against the University of Manitoba at Max Bell Arena. Tomorrow night the University of Brandon will provide the opposition in a game at Winnipeg Arena. Game time each night is 6:30 pm.

Renney, his assistants and Trapp must trim the roster to 22 players by Friday, when the National Junior Team departs for Kenora, ON, for a pre-competition camp from December 19-24 that will feature pre-tournament games against Finland, Russia and Switzerland, the gold, silver and bronze medalists from the 1998 World Junior Championships in Helsinki, Finland.