The weekend saw tragedy when NHL reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children died in a house fire. The reporter's final social media post was especially heartbreaking.
Videos by Wide Open Country
One day before their untimely deaths, Pierce posted a photo of her three children, Hudson, Cayden, and Avery, enjoying ice creams together. "Bag(s) secured," Pierce captioned the post. This was last Friday. On Saturday, the NHL reporter and her kids died in a house fire in Minnesota.
By the time firefighters made it to the residential home, it was engulfed in flames. They managed to locate the NHL reporter, her children, and a dog. But the family had already passed.
"Our hearts ache for all those involved in this tragedy," Fire Chief Greg Peterson wrote in a news release. "We ask for the opportunity to allow our community to come together and support one another during this difficult time."
Tributes For NHL reporter
Pierce had been contributing to the NHL.com for the past 10 years. The organization mourned the loss of the reporter and paid tribute to the family.
"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."
Michael Russo, a reporter for The Athletic, also paid tribute to the NHL reporter.
"Jessi Pierce (Hinrichs) was the most vibrant person — the life of the party, always with a smile on her face, always bringing a passion to every article and podcast and interview she did," he wrote on X. "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."
"Life can be unbearably unfair sometimes, and it's impossible to make sense of this tragedy," Russo continued. "A lot of tears were shed at the arena yesterday. We, in the Wild media and inside the Wild, will miss seeing Jessi every day, laughing with her every day. The press box and press room won't be the same without her."
