Beloved hockey writer Jessi Pierce mourned after tragic death
Beloved hockey writer Jessi Pierce mourned after tragic death
Steve Gardner, USA TODAY Mon, March 23, 2026 at 5:12 PM UTC
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Beloved hockey writer Jessi Pierce mourned after tragic death
The hockey world is mourning the tragic loss of Minnesota Wild beat reporter Jessi Pierce, who died along with her three children and their dog in a house fire early Saturday, March 21.
Pierce, 38, covered the Wild for NHL.com for the past decade and also co-hosted a weekly hockey podcast.
"The entire National Hockey League family sends our prayers and deepest condolences to the Pierce family on the passing of Jessi Pierce and her three young children," the NHL said in a statement. "Jessi loved our game and was a valued member of the NHL.com team for a decade. We will miss her terribly."
Authorities have not determined the cause of the blaze. Pierce's husband was not home at the time.
Hockey world remembers Jessi Pierce
As news of her death spread, tributes began to roll in from friends, colleagues and NHL personnel.
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"The Minnesota Wild organization is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Jessi Pierce and her children," the team said in a statement. "Jessi was a kind, compassionate person that cared deeply about her family and those around her. She served as a dedicated ambassador for the game of hockey during her time covering the Wild and the NHL."
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"I’ve known her a long time. She was a wonderful person, loved hockey, loved people, somebody I looked forward to all the time when I would go to Minnesota," Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette said Sunday. "It’s a sad day in hockey. Her passion for the game, her passion for the Wild, is unsurpassed, and we’re going to miss her. It’s a tragedy."
And from fellow Wild beat writer Michael Russo of The Athletic: "Jessi simply loved covering the Wild and hockey throughout Minnesota and had a way of brightening everyone’s day with her upbeat, bubbly personality. I have literally NEVER met anybody that had a way of being EVERYBODY’s friend."
And in another social media post, Kirsten Krull, who co-hosted the Bardown Beauties podcast with Pierce, appropriately summarized: "There’s so much more I want to say that I can’t find the words for yet. I hope you know how loved you are and could see the outpouring of love for you and your family from the hockey community today."
This story was to add a video.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jessi Pierce, beat writer for Minnesota Wild, dies in house fire
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