Sandis Ozolinsh announces retirement from professional hockey

Before reintroducing himself to our consciousness at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, many probably assumed that a victory lap with the San Jose Sharks in 2008 was the last of Sandis Ozolinsh. 

But Tuesday, six years after bolting the NHL ranks and three months after nearly leading his outmatched country over Canada in the Olympic quarterfinal, the 41-year-old officially announced his retirement from professional hockey.

The 1996 Stanley Cup champion, however, has no intention of fleeing the public eye; he is set to embark on a career in politics, per Sporta Centrs.

Ozolinsh, who spent the last five seasons in the KHL, remains the highest-scoring Latvian in NHL history, notching 564 points in 875 games.