Photo: Instagram/@jessip224
NHL reporter Jessi Pierce, her three children and a dog were killed in a house fire on Saturday (March 21), the NHL confirmed in a statement shared on its official website Sunday (March 22).
“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 statement reads. "Jessi loved our game and was a valued member of the NHL.com team for a decade. We will miss her terribly.”
Pierce, 37, was a contributor to NHL.com for the last 10 seasons and a fixture at Minnesota Wild games, having also worked for the team.
"The Minnesota Wild organization is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Jessi Pierce and her children," the Wild 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.
"Jessi and her children will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to their family, friends, and all who knew and loved them."
The White Bear Fire Department had previously confirmed that three children and one adult were killed in a fire at a single-family home early Saturday morning, though not identifying Pierce or her children at the time, via FOX 9. Responding firefighters "found a fully involved structure fire" and tried to suppress it before finding a deceased adult, three children and dog inside the house.
Officials have not publicly determined the cause of the fire.