Score One For the First Lady

Nancy Reagan, the First Lady of the United States, also became the First Lady of Hockey on Tuesday.

In an event hastily tacked on to her official schedule at the Economic Summit here, Mrs. Reagan visited the National Hockey League Hall of Fame here and was the first woman to be honored by the organization.

She earned the honor, according to NHL President John Ziegler, when she participated in an NHL “Just Say No” salute at the Capital Centre outside Washington on March 25. As part of Mrs. Reagan’s fight against drug abuse, 21 NHL teams hosted “Just Say No to Drugs” nights that weekend to demonstrate their support for “Just Say No” clubs across the United States and Canada.

Not previously known for her hockey prowess, Mrs. Reagan, wearing a red suit, was presented with a hockey puck and stick at the March 25 ceremony and immediately scored a goal.

Her puck and stick, now enshrined for permanent exhibit in the NHL Hall of Fame, bear a plaque honoring her for scoring “in the fight against drug abuse.”