December 16, 1999
NR.118

NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM RELEASES ANOTHER PLAYER BECAUSE OF AN INJURY, TRIMMING THE ROSTER TO 26 PLAYERS

KITCHENER, ON - Canada's National Junior Team has released another player, forward Justin Papineau, as a result of an injury, Head Coach Claude Julien announced late on Thursday bringing the roster to 26 players.

Papineau was returned to his Canadian Hockey League team: the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League. During Canada's exhibition game on Thursday, Papineau suffered a groin injury. Following the game, the team's medical staff informed the coaching staff that Papineau would be off skates for at least seven days.

Earlier in the day, the team had announced that defenceman John Erskine had returned to the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League and Mike Zigomanis had been returned to the Kingston Frontenacs because of an injury very similar to Papineau's.

This roster deletion reduced the National Junior Team Selection Camp roster to 26 players after five days of the six day camp to choose the team that will represent Canada at the 2000 World Junior Hockey

Championship in Sweden from December 25, 1999 - January 4, 2000. The team will take 22 players - 20 skaters and two goaltenders - to the World Junior Championship. Final releases will be announced early Friday morning.

Julien (Hull Olympiques, QMJHL) and assistant coaches Todd McLellan (Swift Current Broncos, OHL) and Dean Clark (Calgary Hitmen, WHL), along with Barry Trapp, Canadian Hockey's Director of Scouting, have been evaluating the players as they go through daily work-outs, two intra-squad games and two exhibition games against teams of OUA All-Stars.

Canada's National Junior Team returns to the ice this morning at 10:00 am at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium for a team picture after which they leave for Sweden later in the day.