Ozolinsh, an old face, tries out for Sharks

The Sharks welcomed back an old face Sunday. Defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh arrived for a training camp tryout.

Ozolinsh, one of San Jose’s first stars, was traded to Colorado in the deal that brought Owen Nolan to the Sharks in 1995. Ozolinsh then was an integral part of the Avalanche’s 1996 Stanley Cup-winning team.

“This is a good opportunity for him and for us,” said Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson. “We’ll just see where it goes. We think it’s well worth the time.”

Ozolinsh, who has dealt with well-documented problems off the ice, said he spent the summer deciding if he was prepared to continue playing.

“I was less concerned about my physical strength than I was my mental condition,” he said. “I wanted to make sure my head was in the right place. I’m really grateful for this opportunity, and I’ll make the most of it.”

A native of Latvia, Ozolinsh is an offensive-minded defenseman with 164 goals and 384 assists. He’s a seven-time All-Star who still holds the Sharks record for most points in a season by a defenseman (64 in 1993-94).

But at 35, Ozolinsh is trying to recapture past magic.

The past couple of years have been difficult. In December 2005 he entered the NHL’s substance-abuse program. In June 2006 he pleaded guilty to driving while impaired. Coming off knee surgery, he only had three assists with the New York Rangers last season before he declined to report to the minors.

“For today, I am feeling great,” he said. “It’s one of the decisions I had to make: if I was ready to handle all of the pressures. It was one of the things we talked about. I was very honest with them and told them where I was mentally, what I was feeling, and how I was looking at life now.”

Last September the Sharks dealt with forward Mark Bell getting arrested on a DUI charge. Bell, who was traded to Toronto this summer, pleaded no-contest in a deal where he was sentenced to six months of jail time to be served in the next two off-seasons.

Wilson, who played with Ozolinsh, said the organization did its homework.

“Every case is unique,” Wilson said. “People deal with issues and go forward from there. We judge every situation on its own merits. We know Sandis is a good person and we feel very comfortable with this.”