Jessi Pierce confirmed dead in White Bear Lake house fire

On March 23, 2026, the National Hockey League confirmed that Jessi Pierce, a longtime contributor who covered the Minnesota Wild, died Saturday in a house fire in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, along with her three young children.

The White Bear Lake Fire Department said an adult, three children and a dog perished after neighbors reported flames coming through the roof and emergency crews arrived to find a fully involved structure fire. Fire Chief Greg Peterson identified one of the victims as Pierce, noting that she used Pierce professionally and was married under the surname Hinrichs. Authorities said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

Pierce had worked with NHL.com for a decade, regularly covering her hometown team, the Minnesota Wild, and was remembered by the club and colleagues as a familiar presence at games and in the press box. The team expressed sorrow and called her a devoted ambassador for the sport who cared deeply for her family. Reporter Michael Russo said emotions were raw at the arena during the Wild’s most recent game against the Dallas Stars, and that teammates and media colleagues will miss her daily presence.