Sporting Digest: Ice Hockey

ACTIVE National Hockey League players are likely to compete in the Olympics for the first time at the 1998 Winter Games, United States officials said yesterday. 'It was awfully close to happening this year, and they just couldn't get it done in time for the 1994 Olympics,' the US Olympic coach, Tim Taylor, said.

NHL: Boston Bruins 3 Buffalo Sabres 5; New York Rangers 5 Tampa Bay Lightning 4; Pittsburgh Penguins 2 Montreal Canadiens 1 (o/t); Toronto Maple Leafs 6 Dallas Stars 3; St Louis Blues 5 Florida Panthers 3; Calgary Flames 6 San Jose Sharks 2.

EUROPA CUP (Riga, Lat): Sokol Kiev 9 Cardiff Devils 1 (Ruggles).