NHL reporter Jessi Pierce died at age 37 alongside her three young children and their family dog in a March 21 fire at their home in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, leaving the hockey world and a wider community in mourning.
Pierce shared her three kids — sons Hudson, 8, and Cayden, 6, and daughter Avery, 4 — with her husband, Mike Hinrichs, who had been out of town for work.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through the sports media community and beyond, prompting an outpouring of grief from the NHL, the Minnesota Wild organization and colleagues who knew Pierce personally.
Keep scrolling for everything to know:
Who Was Jessi Pierce?
Pierce was a reporter for The New York Times‘ The Athletic who covered the Minnesota Wild. She had been a contributor to NHL.com for the past decade and was described as “a fixture at Wild games and beloved in the hockey community.”
She also cohosted the “Bardown Beauties” podcast with Kirsten Krull.
A Heartbreaking Timeline
Just one day before the fire, on March 20, Pierce shared two photos of her children via X.
The Hockey World Responds
The NHL released a statement on March 22 expressing sorrow over the loss.
“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 league said. “Jessi loved our game and was a valued member of the NHL.com team for a decade. We will miss her terribly.”
Celebrity Deaths of 2026: ‘MAFS’ UK Expert Mel Schilling and More
The Minnesota Wild issued their own tribute, which read, “The Minnesota Wild organization is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Jessi Pierce and her children. 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.”
Krull, Pierce’s podcast cohost, shared her grief on X on March 23, explaining that they would record their show on Mondays.
“Logging onto my computer, sitting at my desk with my microphone where we recorded was another hard thing I haven’t yet done but have to continue to do,”
Krull wrote. “I know me and so many others are feeling this, it’s cruel that the world doesn’t stop when terrible things happen even when we desperately beg for it to.”
Family and Community Rally Together
Pierce’s brother, Nick Pierce, posted a photo of himself and Jessi via Facebook on March 22. The image showed the siblings with their backs to the camera and their last name written across their shirts.
A GoFundMe page was established for the Pierce family and raised over $65,000.
“We are raising funds to cover funeral expenses and to provide financial support for the family during this period of grief,” the site read. “Any contribution is appreciated.”
What Remains Unknown
Details surrounding the fire remain limited. The cause of the fire has not been publicly disclosed, and an investigation is underway.