The legacy of Sandis Ozolinsh

[LAX attack*]

Recently I watched parts of the playoff series between Colorado and Vancouver in the 1995-1996 season, and I noticed one player in particular. Sandis Ozolinsh was extremely effective offensively, stepping up on the rush, throwing excellent passes, being an all around very effective offensive defenseman.

Additionally, he racked up a lot of points throughout his career, and was a Norris finalist one year. However, why is he remembered so poorly? Just on statistics alone, he was a very effective playoff performer, and he looked even better just by watching it, or is it just too small of a sample size?

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[IdiotsPickedMyName*]

I'm pretty sure he was drunk/druggie missing practices and road trips and such. Those guys never get remembered fondly no matter what they do.

Qucik wikipedia check he enrolled in the substance abuse program in '05 and is now playing again so hopefully all is well with him.

 

[guyincognito]

I'm pretty sure he was drunk/druggie missing practices and road trips and such. Those guys never get remembered fondly no matter what they do.

Qucik wikipedia check he enrolled in the substance abuse program in '05 and is now playing again so hopefully all is well with him.

Well, that and he's basically a forward playing D. He has next to no defensive responsbility.

And then there is the own-goal, in which he will be forever remembered in the NY area. He followed that up by screwing up his first shift of the 3rd game of that series and later was pulled over bombed off his ass at something like 11 in the morning.

 

[ck26]

The gulf between Paul Coffey and Sandis Ozolinsh is smaller than history will say it is, but previous posters hit it on the head -- off-ice problems will wreck him. When I picked "Ouzo" during one of the all-time drafts, he was lauded as a "Betty Ford Allstar" ... which sums up his career nicely.

 

[Blades of Glory]

He could have been the best pure offensive defenseman the NHL had seen since Paul Coffey in his prime. Too bad his head always was elsewhere.

 

[Howe Elbows 9]

A good player who helped Colorado win their first Cup. I'm glad that he's doing well enough now to have played a few games for the Sharks this season.

 

[kmad]

What I remember most about Ozo is that all-star game where he was traded to the other conference inbetween final voting and the game itself. And he was on the starting lineup.

I think he got booed but I'm not sure.

 

[Analyzer*]

I remember him in the Detroit/Colorado rivalry. Sakic Vs Yzerman, Fedorov Vs Forsberg, Lidstrom Vs Ozolinsh. Back then it was closer than people thought.

 

[Zine]

In his later years he started showing a much more well-rounded game; however, his off-ice issues really took precedence over his career at that point.