Both sides in the dispute that threatened...

Both sides in the dispute that threatened to cancel a Soviet-NHL exhibition series claimed victory after the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation decided to go ahead with a tour of NHL cities this winter.

Federation President Leonid Kravchenko said in Moscow that the Soviets had agreed to the full schedule of 29 exhibitions. Kravchenko said the decision was made after the NHL had “promised to give legal guarantees that there will be no future situations where ‘stealing’ of our players will occur.”

However, Alan Eagleson, head of the NHL Players’ Assn., said the league could give no such assurances.