Jesse Pierce and her three children were killed in a weekend house fire in Minnesota, the NHL announced Saturday.
Pierce, 37, has covered the Minnesota Wild as a reporter for NHL.com for the past decade.
“The entire NHL.com team is heartbroken and saddened by the loss of Jessie and her children,” Bill Price, vice president and editor-in-chief of NHL.com, said in a statement. “Jessie’s love for her family and the game of hockey was evident in the energy and passion she brought to her work for us. She was an absolute joy to talk to and work with. She will be greatly missed.”
Firefighters responded to a house fire Saturday morning in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Neighbors called 911 and reported seeing flames shooting through the ceiling. The White Bear Lake Fire Department said fire crews found an adult, three children and a dog inside the home, all of whom were dead. The ministry did not announce the names of the victims in its statement on Saturday.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
“The hearts of those involved in this tragedy are hurting. We ask for the opportunity to allow our community to come together and support each other during this difficult time,” Fire Chief Greg Peterson said in the statement.
The Minnesota Wild mourned their loss on social media on Sunday.
“Jessie was a kind and compassionate person who cared deeply about her family and those around her. She served as a hockey ambassador during her time covering the Wild and NHL,” a social media post said.
Minnesota is known as “The State of Hockey,” and the Wild have had one of the largest fan bases since their inception in 2000. The North Stars moved to Dallas to become the Stars in the early 1990s.
___
Associated Press writer Steven Wino, who lives in New York, contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.