BRIEFLY : ELWAY WILL RETURN IN '98, AGENT SAYS.

John Elway will have at least one more more shot at being ``king of the hill.''

The 37-year-old Elway, who quarterbacked the Denver Broncos to their first Super Bowl title last month, plans to return for the 1998 NFL season, his agent, Marvin Demoff, said Thursday.

``My expectation always was that John would tell (owner) Pat Bowlen and (coach) Mike Shanahan a year in advance that I'm taking it one year at a time,'' Demoff told the Denver Post. ``Well, John's giving them a year's notice on his locker starting now. He might end up renewing that lease after next season. . . .

``It fulfills his obligation to Pat to help him get a new stadium. It fulfills his obligation to Mike to get someone in place. And it allows John to tour the NFL at least one more season as the king of the hill, which is exactly what he is.''

Team spokesman Jim Saccomano said Friday that Broncos officials had not yet heard from Elway.

The Detroit Lions and free-agent wide receiver Johnnie Morton have agreed to a five-year contract worth an average $3 million a year, the Detroit News reported.

Washington State University football coach Mike Price has signed an eight-year contract that will make him one of the highest paid Pacific-10 Conference coaches, athletic director Rick Dickson said. The contract is worth an estimated $470,000 a year in salary and outside income.

NHL: The Vancouver Canucks continued a copious week of trading, dealing former captain Trevor Linden to the New York Islanders for defenseman Bryan McCabe, center Todd Bertuzzi and a third-round draft pick.

Hours later, the Islanders, working to beat a midnight deadline on a trading freeze throughout the Olympics, picked up three more players by sending three of their own to the Mighty Ducks.

In that trade, New York center Travis Green, defenseman Doug Houda and right wing Tony Tuzzolino were dealt to the Ducks in exchange for defenseman J.J. Daigneault, center Mark Janssens and right wing Joe Sacco.

SOCCER: Mauricio Cienfuegos captain of El Salvador's national soccer team, said he will no longer compete for the country once the CONCACAF Gold Cup concludes in Los Angeles on Feb. 15. Cienfuegos told the spanish language daily La Opinion he feels physically and emotionally drained, and he wants to spend more time with his family. Cienfuegos said he is not retiring and plans to rejoin Major League Soccer's Galaxy this season.

TENNIS: Former world No. 1 Steffi Graf will make her return from knee surgery at a tournament in Paris next week, WTA Tour officials said. Graf's last appearance in a tournament was at the French Open on June 3, when she lost to Amanda Coetzer in the quarters.

TRACK AND FIELD: Daniel Komen of Kenya set a world indoor record of 7 minutes, 24.90 seconds in the 3,000 meters at the Samsung Cup track and field meet in Budapest, Hungary. He broke the 7:26.14 mark set by Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie at Stuttgart, Germany on Sunday.

BOXING: Reggie Johnson knocked out William Guthrie in the fifth round to win the IBF light heavyweight title at the Mohegan Sun casino in Montville, Conn.

- Daily News Wire Services