3 Soviet Stars Are Free to Play for NHL Clubs

Soviet hockey stars Vyacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov will be allowed to play in the National Hockey League, the Soviet official news agency Tass reported Thursday.

The announcement that the three were released from the Red Army--whose hockey team they represent in the Soviet league--was made Wednesday and ended months of speculation. All were members of the team that won the World Championships in Stockholm this month.

Tass did not refer to the disputes in its terse announcement that the three were let go “owing to reduction of staff” in the Red Army and “are now free to sign contracts with NHL or any other foreign clubs.”

Last year Larionov spoke out against the methods of national team coach Viktor Tikhonov.

And Fetisov quit after an argument with Tikhonov over the treatment of players. The two patched up their differences before the World Championships.

The New Jersey Devils have contract rights to Fetisov, the Vancouver Canucks to Larionov and the Calgary Flames to Makarov.