Hockey Superstar to Rejoin Soviet Team for Swedish Games

Hockey superstar Vyacheslav Fetisov, who quit the Soviet army team in January, will rejoin the national team and play in the world championships in Sweden next month.

Fetisov, 31, appeared at a team meeting Monday and read a statement to the Soviet Sports Committee asking for readmission to the national team, Tass press agency reported today.

The ace defenseman quit in a furious row with the authoritarian coach of the Central Army Sports Club, Viktor Tikhonov. In addition to complaints about Tikhonov’s methods, he charged that the coach had broken a promise to let him accept a million-dollar offer from the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League.

Even without Fetisov for the last two months, the army team recently clinched its 32nd national championship--the 13th in a row. Tass said Tikhonov had no objection to Fetisov’s joining the national team.