Sandis Ozoliņš facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sandis Ozoliņš |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Ozoliņš with the San Jose Sharks in 2008
|
|||
| Born | 3 August 1972 Sigulda, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union |
||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Dinamo Riga San Jose Sharks Colorado Avalanche Carolina Hurricanes Florida Panthers Mighty Ducks of Anaheim New York Rangers Dinamo Riga Atlant Moscow Oblast |
||
| National team |  Soviet Union, Unified Team and Latvia |
||
| NHL Draft | 30th overall, 1991 San Jose Sharks |
||
| Playing career | 1990–2014 | ||
Sandis Ozoliņš (born August 3, 1972) is a former professional ice hockey player and coach from Latvia. In North America, he was known as Sandis Ozolinsh. He was a seven-time NHL All-Star player. He also won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. The Stanley Cup is one of the most famous trophies in ice hockey.
Sandis was also a finalist for the Norris Trophy, which is given to the best defenceman in the league. He holds many records for Latvian players in the NHL. He has the most goals, assists, points, and games played by a Latvian in the NHL. He also set several records for the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks teams. For a while, he was the highest-paid athlete in Latvian history. After retiring from playing, he became a head coach for Dinamo in 2017.
Ozoliņš was chosen in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks. He was the 30th player picked overall. He played for several NHL teams, including the Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and New York Rangers. He was known as an "offensive defenceman" because he was very good at helping his team score goals.
In 2014, Sandis Ozoliņš received the Order of the Three Stars. This is a high honor in Latvia, given for his important contributions to Latvian ice hockey and sports.
Contents
Playing Ice Hockey: Sandis Ozoliņš's Journey
Starting His Hockey Career
Sandis Ozoliņš was picked by the San Jose Sharks in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. Before joining the NHL, he played for a minor league team called the Kansas City Blades. This team was part of the International Hockey League. In 1992, he and his Latvian teammate Artūrs Irbe won a championship called the Turner Cup with the Blades.
Playing in the National Hockey League (NHL)
Joining the San Jose Sharks
Ozoliņš started playing for the Sharks in the 1992–93 season. He scored 23 points in 37 games. He missed most of his first season because of a knee injury. After he recovered, he had a great second season in 1993–94. He played 81 games, scored 26 goals, and had 64 points. He led the league in goals for a defenceman that year. Ozoliņš helped the Sharks reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time ever.
Winning with the Colorado Avalanche
Ozoliņš started the 1995–96 season with the Sharks. He then joined the Colorado Avalanche in a trade. In his first season with the Avalanche, he scored 50 points in 66 games. Many of his points came from playing on the power play, when the other team has a player in the penalty box.
In 1996, Ozoliņš and the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup. The next season, the Avalanche won the Presidents' Trophy for having the best record in the regular season. Ozoliņš finished third in votes for the Norris Trophy, which is given to the league's best defenceman. He scored a career-high 68 points that season. On December 6, 1999, he scored his first career hat trick (three goals in one game).
Playing for Carolina, Florida, and Anaheim
In 2000, Ozoliņš was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. This trade brought him back together with his Latvian friend Artūrs Irbe. They had played together before and even helped fund a youth hockey program in Latvia. Ozoliņš signed a big contract with Carolina. The team's general manager, Jim Rutherford, said they were happy to spend money on a player like Sandis.
Ozoliņš played about a season and a half with Carolina. Then, he was traded to the Florida Panthers in the middle of the 2001–02 season. He wore number 44 for the Panthers. He scored 10 goals and 19 assists in 37 games. The Panthers did not make the playoffs while he was there.
During the 2002–03 season, the Panthers traded Ozoliņš to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He was chosen to play in the NHL All-Star Game that year. However, he decided not to participate in the skills competition. He felt it would be strange to wear his old team's uniform after being traded. The league fined him for this decision. When he joined the Ducks, he helped them reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time. They lost a close seven-game series. In the 2003–04 season, Ozoliņš played only 36 games due to injuries.
Time with the NY Rangers and Back to San Jose
After a break in the 2004–05 season, Ozoliņš was traded to the New York Rangers. He helped the Rangers reach the playoffs in the 2005–06 season. They had not been to the playoffs since 1997. In the next season, the Rangers placed Ozoliņš on waivers. This meant other teams could claim him. No team claimed him, so he was sent to a minor league team, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Soon after, he was put on the injured list because of a knee injury.
In the 2007–08 NHL season, he returned to the San Jose Sharks. He scored 3 goals and 13 assists in 39 games. He made a famous save against the Anaheim Ducks. The puck slipped past his goalie, but Ozoliņš fell and used his stick to stop the puck right on the goal line.
Playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL)
Returning to Dinamo Riga
After his season with the Sharks, Ozoliņš took a break from hockey for a year. On July 13, 2009, he surprised many by signing a one-year deal with KHL team Dinamo Riga. This was his home country team, and he had started his senior career with them in 1990. He got back his old number 8 jersey. Ozoliņš was named captain for the first time in his career. In the 2009–10 KHL season, he was the top-scoring defenceman for his team. He was also chosen to play in the KHL All-Star game. He later extended his contract with Dinamo for another year.
In the 2010–11 KHL season, Ozoliņš was named the league's best defenceman in the first month. He had 1 goal and 11 assists in 11 games. He was injured in November and missed all of December with broken ribs. In January 2011, he was again chosen for the KHL All-Star game. Before the 2011–12 KHL season, he turned down an offer from the Gagarin Cup winners, Salavat Yulaev Ufa. He was also confirmed as captain of the Western Conference team for the All-Star Game 2012. On July 12, 2012, Dinamo Riga announced that Ozoliņš had left the team. He had scored 22 goals and 65 assists in 158 KHL games for Dinamo Riga. He set several team records for a defenceman.
Time with Atlant Moscow Oblast
On September 24, 2012, Ozoliņš signed a one-year deal with another KHL team, Atlant Moscow Oblast. In his only season with Atlant in 2012–13, he was named team captain. He was a key player on defense, scoring 2 goals and 20 points in 42 games.
Coming Back Home Again
In the off-season, Ozoliņš returned to Dinamo Riga as a free agent. He signed a one-year contract on May 8, 2013.
Retiring from Hockey
On May 27, 2014, Sandis Ozoliņš announced on national television that he was retiring from professional hockey. He later returned to Dinamo Riga as an assistant coach in October 2016. He was then promoted to head coach of the team in May 2017.
Playing for His Country
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
Representing  Commonwealth of Independent States |
||
| World Junior Championship | ||
| Gold | 1992 Germany | Ice hockey |
Representing  Soviet Union |
||
| World Junior Championship | ||
| Silver | 1991 Canada | Ice hockey |
Sandis Ozoliņš was born in Latvia. He played international hockey for the Soviet Union until 1991. His first big international tournament was the 1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. There, he won a silver medal, losing to Canada in the final game. After the Soviet Union broke up, he played for the new Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) team. He won a gold medal at the 1992 World Junior Championships. Even though Latvia was not part of the CIS, Ozoliņš was allowed to play.
Ozoliņš did not play internationally again until 1998. This was due to injuries and his NHL playoff schedule. In 1998, he joined the Latvia team for the first time in the top division. He helped his country again at the Men's World Ice Hockey Championship. He also played one game at the 2002 Winter Olympics. In a game against Slovakia, he had 4 assists, helping Latvia get a 6–6 tie.
After three years, Ozoliņš helped Latvia qualify for the 2006 Winter Olympics. He said this would be his last international tournament. However, he rejoined the Latvian team to help them qualify for the 2014 Olympics. The team, with Ozoliņš as captain, did qualify for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. They surprised Switzerland and reached the quarterfinals, finishing 8th after losing to Canada.
Sandis Ozoliņš's Personal Life
Sandis Ozoliņš was married to his high school friend Sandra for over 15 years. They separated in 2010. He has two sons, Roberts (born in 1994) and Christopher (born in 1996). During the off-season, Ozoliņš lives in Denver, Colorado, and also in Jūrmala, Latvia. He owns Ozo Golf Club, which is Latvia's first 18-hole golf course. In December 2009, people in Latvia voted him the most popular sportsman of the year online.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1990–91 | Dinamo Rīga | Soviet | 44 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Stars Rīga | CIS | 30 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | 34 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 20 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 22 | ||
| 1992–93 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 37 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 81 | 26 | 38 | 64 | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 1994–95 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 48 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 30 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 1995–96 | San Francisco Spiders | IHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 66 | 13 | 37 | 50 | 50 | 22 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 16 | ||
| 1996–97 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 80 | 23 | 45 | 68 | 88 | 17 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 24 | ||
| 1997–98 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 66 | 13 | 38 | 51 | 65 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | ||
| 1998–99 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 39 | 7 | 25 | 32 | 22 | 19 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 22 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 82 | 16 | 36 | 52 | 46 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 20 | ||
| 2000–01 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 72 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 71 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 2001–02 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 46 | 4 | 19 | 23 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 37 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 51 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 31 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 10 | ||
| 2003–04 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 36 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 17 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | New York Rangers | NHL | 14 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2006–07 | New York Rangers | NHL | 21 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Worcester Sharks | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 39 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Dinamo Rīga | KHL | 43 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 109 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 24 | ||
| 2010–11 | Dinamo Rīga | KHL | 41 | 6 | 26 | 32 | 62 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 12 | ||
| 2011–12 | Dinamo Rīga | KHL | 50 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | Atlant Moscow Oblast | KHL | 42 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2013–14 | Dinamo Rīga | KHL | 48 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 46 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 24 | ||
| NHL totals | 875 | 167 | 397 | 564 | 638 | 137 | 23 | 67 | 90 | 131 | ||||
| KHL totals | 224 | 28 | 89 | 117 | 271 | 36 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 64 | ||||
International Play Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Soviet Union | WJC | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 1992 | CIS | WJC | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | |
| 1998 | Latvia | WC | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2001 | Latvia | WC | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2002 | Latvia | OG | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2002 | Latvia | WC | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | |
| 2005 | Latvia | OGQ | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2006 | Latvia | OG | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2013 | Latvia | OGQ | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Latvia | OG | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Junior totals | 14 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 10 | |||
| Senior totals | 33 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 32 | |||
Awards and Achievements
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| IHL | |
| Turner Cup | 1992 |
| NHL | |
| All-Star Game | 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 |
| Stanley Cup (Colorado Avalanche) | 1996 |
| First All-Star team | 1997 |
| KHL | |
| All-Star Game | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 |
| First All-Star Team | 2011 |
| International | |
| World Junior Ice Hockey Championships Silver Medal | 1991 |
| World Junior Ice Hockey Championships Gold Medal | 1992 |
| Spengler Cup Silver Medal | 2011 |
| Spengler Cup All-Star team | 2011 |
| IIHF All-Time Latvia Team | 2020 |
Colorado Avalanche Records
- Most all-time playoff goals by an Avalanche defenceman – 18
- Most all-time playoff assists by an Avalanche defenceman – 49
- Most all-time playoff points by an Avalanche defenceman – 67
