Holdout Ozolinsh Signs With Avs

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 6, 1999 / 2:26 AM EST / CBS Sportsline

All-Star holdout defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh has signed a multi-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche, the team announced late Tuesday.

Ozolinsh will rejoin his team Wednesday and play against the Florida Panthers at Denver.

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Terms of the deal were not announced.

Reports said the team offered a three-year, $9.8 million contract, but Ozolinsh, a Group II free agent, was seeking $4.5 million a year.

Ozolinsh, 26, had remained at his home in Latvia until recently, but attended Monday's Avalanche game against the Montreal Canadiens in Denver. He has played in the NHL All-Star Game each of the past two seasons. He had 13 goals and 51 points last year.

Ozolinsh had been with the Avalanche (17-18-3) for three years and was on Colorado's 1996 Stanley Cup championship team.

The Avalanche leads the Northwest Division of the Western Conference by three points.