SPORTS
January 17, 2002 | From Associated Press
Six-time all-star defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh and top minor league prospect Byron Ritchie were traded by the Carolina Hurricanes to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday for three players. The Hurricanes received defenseman Bret Hedican, center Kevyn Adams and minor league prospect Tomas Malec. Ozolinsh, in his 10th NHL season, was picked as a starter for the World all-star team for the second consecutive season despite offensive numbers that didn't match his days with the Colorado Avalanche.
SPORTS
December 15, 2005 | Eric Stephens, Times Staff Writer
Sandis Ozolinsh may feel better walking up and down staircases but his balky left knee isn't ready for the ice. The Mighty Duck defenseman remained on injured reserve Wednesday as he sat out his sixth consecutive game because of the strained knee. Ozolinsh, 33, has played in only 13 games after signing a two-year, $5.5-million extension on July 29. The 14-year veteran injured the knee Nov. 27 against Chicago and hasn't skated since.
SPORTS
March 12, 2004 | Elliott Teaford, Times Staff Writer
Sandis Ozolinsh skated with teammates for a second consecutive day, but it remained uncertain when he could play again. Ozolinsh, the Mighty Ducks' top offensive-minded defenseman, underwent shoulder surgery Jan. 2 and has played only 28 games this season. "He looks good to me," Coach Mike Babcock said after the Ducks' workout Thursday at their Anaheim practice facility. "We'd love for this guy to play."
SPORTS
December 1, 2003 | Helene Elliott
Cross-check him in the back. Make him skate laps. Just don't ask Sandis Ozolinsh to assess how he's playing. "I do not know. I do not watch the games," the Latvian-born defenseman said Sunday after scoring the Mighty Ducks' only goal in a 1-1 tie with the Minnesota Wild. "I'm my worst critic. I'll take the Fifth Amendment." And how does he know the U.S. Constitution well enough to offer that excuse? "Watching way too much CNN," he said.
SPORTS
February 11, 2003 | Chris Foster, Times Staff Writer
Each day, defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh gets a little more comfortable, a little more knowledgeable, playing for the Mighty Ducks. Ozolinsh, acquired from Florida on Jan. 30, has been playing more or less on instinct. That has been good enough for a goal and two assists in four games. But practices, like Monday's, are getting him up to speed. "There is a big difference in the way we played in Florida and the way this team plays," Ozolinsh said. "The systems are different.
SPORTS
December 20, 2005 | Eric Stephens, Times Staff Writer
Mighty Duck defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh practiced with his teammates for the first time since injuring his left knee Nov. 27 against Chicago. In what has been an injury-plagued season, Ozolinsh had reason to be in an upbeat mood Monday. The 13-year veteran said there is minor discomfort but none of the persistent pain that has kept him out of the lineup the last eight games.