Before the great Cale Makar wore No. 8, there was another No. 8 who was pretty great. Ahead of the 1996 Stanley Cup-winning Avalanche team being honored on Dec. 11, the current No. 8 showed some respect to the man who came before him. Game respects game. “I just met Sandis Ozolinsh really qu ick there,” Makar said. “That was pretty cool.” Before the likes of Makar, Erik Karlsson, Roman Josi and Quinn Hughes took over as defensemen who were serious threats on the rush, there was the man known in Colorado as “Ozo.” One of the missing pieces acquired by Pierre Lacroix during the 1995-96 season that helped the Avalanche go all the way, Ozolinsh was a weapon that very few teams had. When the opposition was keying in on the highly skilled forwards the Avalanche possessed, Ozolinsh would appear out of nowhere and create an outnumbered situation. In a way, a lot of the defensemen you see in the NHL today have some Ozo in them, although he doesn’t seek credit for paving the way for this generation of blue liners. “No, no, no. The league changed, the times changed. The league is more entertaining,” Ozolinsh told The Denver Gazette. “It’s more offensive with all the rule changes, the encouragements for players to join the attack and score goals and make it more excited for people to watch in the arenas (and) on TV. So, no, it’s just the way the game develops.” Colorado Avalanche defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, front left, celebrates with teammates Jon Klemm, front center, and Stephane Yelle, after Ozolinsh scored his third goal of the game against the Vancouver Canucks late Monday, Dec. 6, 1999, in Colorado’s 5-2 victory in Denver’s Pepsi Center. Canucks defensman Zenith Komarniski, back, turns away from the celebration. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Yes, he has a little FOMO. “I wish I would have played in these times, right?” he joked. “It would have been more fun.” The 53-year-old Ozolinsh has never left the game he loves. His last season on the ice ended in 2014. Almost immediately after he was done playing, he stepped behind the bench, coaching in the KHL for six seasons. From 2022 to 2025, he was a scout for the Avalanche, stepping away this season from his duties. Because he never really left the game, he’s been able to watch the next generation of defensemen develop up close. There’s an appreciation for the way the game is played now because it’s how he played. “You’ve got to skate, you’ve got to join the attack,” he said of the modern NHL defenseman. There is one guy who stands above the rest, though. That’s the man who is currently wearing the same number Ozolinsh wore from 1995 to 2000 in Colorado and the only defenseman in Avalanche history to have a higher points-per-game average while wearing the burgundy and blue. “He’s one of those players that changes the game. There are not many,” Ozolinsh said of Makar. “Bobby Orr changed the game. Wayne Gretzky changed the game. (Makar) is one of those players that really changes the game, how it’s going to be played for the next decade or two. All the coaches now that are coaching kids, they want them to skate like Makar, play like Makar because that’s what’s valuable. He is a game changer.” Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) skates the puck past Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly (90) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) “There are stars, superstars, and then there are game changers. He’s one of them.” For different reasons, Ozolinsh has an appreciation for another Avalanche defenseman. Ozolinsh himself was a rare bread. While he played his last NHL game at the age of 36, that wasn’t the end of his playing career. He moved over to the KHL and continued playing for another five years, captaining Team Latvia at the age of 41 at the 2014 Olympic Games. Does he love seeing Brent Burns continue to excel in the NHL at the age of 40? You betcha. “Fantastic. Just fantastic,” Ozolinsh said. “The more you can live your dream, the better it is for everybody. The longer you can prolong it and be active and be successful and be productive and be part of the team and this game, hats off.” Ozolinsh now is getting back into coaching. He’ll be an assistant coach for Latvia at the Olympic Games in February, 12 years after he last played for his home country. You’ll never guess his specialty. “It’s ironic, maybe, but I’m a defensive specialist. No, I’m serious,” Ozolinsh said. No one would have mistaken Ozolinsh as a defensive stalwart during his playing days. Most nights, he looked like a fourth forward on the ice, which is part of what made defending the Avalanche so difficult. And also what gave some of his coaches a few more gray hairs. Peter Forsberg waves to the crowd as he is introduced during a ceremony to honor members from the 1996 Stanley Cup Championship team of the Colorado Avalanche before an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) “I was a forward until I was 16,” Ozolinsh said. “I had some really, really great coaches. My first year in Colorado was Joel Quenneville. I remember he was trying to explain to me the defensive side, and I still cannot comprehend why I didn’t understand it. It’s so easy to understand right now standing right here, but at the time — (at) 22, 23 years old — I don’t understand how I didn’t understand it, how I couldn’t pick it up and do what they wanted.” That perspective, one that comes with age, has helped him now that he’s behind the bench. “That’s my path. That’s how I develop into a person,” he said. “Maybe I can understand those kids better. It’s not as easy as it seems from this side.” Ozolinsh at first was not sure about coaching. He didn’t think he was going to like it. It’s not for everyone, and a lot of high-end players seem to prefer the management side as opposed to stepping behind the bench when their playing days are done. Then, after taking a few “bumps and bruises” while learning on the job, he found his love for being behind the bench. “Once I understood that I have to learn about the game from a different perspective, I really enjoyed it,” he said. “I really enjoyed learning the game and then giving to somebody who’s young and teaching them. I think the most satisfying part was seeing the kids pick it up, doing it and succeeding, and doing better than they thought they could do. I really enjoy it because (of) the progressions you see in the players, the development and the long-term commitment. You see the sparks in the kids eyes.” The Colorado Avalanche’s Sandis Ozolinsh (8) shoots the puck at Chicago Blackhawks goalie Ed Belfour as Gary Suter (20) defends during the second overtime period of Monday’s playoff game, May 13, 1996, in Chicago. Ozolinsh went on to score the game-winning goal on the rebound as the Avalanche beat the Blackhawks 4-3 to win the series 4-2. (AP Photo/Michael S. Green) Only Makar has more power-play goals among defensemen in an Avalanche uniform than Ozolinsh. As a power-play specialist, he knew how to read a penalty kill. Maybe that’s why coaching the penalty kill has become his specialty. “You know the spots you don’t want the penalty kill to pressure,” he joked. Back in town celebrating that 1996 Stanley Cup win, Ozolinsh and 16 other members of that Avalanche team got together to reminisce. Nearly 30 years ago, they brought Denver its first major professional sports championship. Many of them haven’t been in the same room since then. That’s what made last week so special. “So wonderful to come back and see the guys,” Ozolinsh said. “We achieved something that every child, every kid that starts playing hockey dreams of achieving. It’s wonderful to come back and remember that, to share the memories that some of us have forgotten.” One thing he hasn’t forgotten is his first instinct joining a team with the likes of Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Valeri Kamensky and Claude Lemieux. “Just get open,” he joked. He was pretty good at that. ...read more read less