Jessi Pierce, a beloved Minnesota hockey reporter, and her three children died in a tragic house fire at age 37, the NHL confirmed.
The early morning blaze in White Bear Lake claimed one adult and three children. Neighbors described the chaos as flames consumed the home before dawn. Julie Andrus told the Minnesota Star Tribune, “By the time the cops woke us, it was like a tornado of smoke.”
The NHL expressed condolences: “Jessi loved our game and was a valued member of the NHL.com team for a decade. We will miss her terribly.”
The White Bear Lake Fire Department responded around 5:30 a.m., finding the home fully engulfed. A family dog also perished. Michael Russo of The Athletic identified the children as Hudson, Cayden, and Avery; Pierce is survived by her husband, Mike.
Just a day before, Pierce had shared photos with her children from a local ice cream shop. She covered the Minnesota Wild for NHL.com, contributed to The Athletic, co-hosted the Bardown Beauties podcast, and wrote for USA Hockey, Minnesota Hockey Journal, and Massachusetts Hockey. Pierce was an Iowa State University graduate.