IN BRIEF : NHL Denies Invitation to Soviets

The National Hockey League and its players’ union today denied reports from Moscow that the league had invited the Soviets to field an NHL team.

Thursday, the weekly Moscow News reported that the Soviets were considering such an offer. It quoted Victor Galaev, director of foreign economic relations for the state sports committee, as saying: “We are looking at a suggestion from our partners on the other side of the ocean. . . .

“Perhaps in the future, our boys will be competing with professionals for the Stanley Cup.”

NHL President Ron Ziegler and Alan Eagleson, executive director of the NHL Players Assn., were in Moscow during the past week for a two-day meeting with Soviet Ice Hockey Federation officials.

In a joint statement, they said: “There were no such suggestions or discussions. There were no meetings or discussions with Mr. Galaev. . . . At no time in the last 13 years has there ever been a discussion with the Soviets by the NHL regarding such a suggestion.”