Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin expressed profound grief over the deaths of Jessi Pierce, a longtime beat reporter for the team on NHL.com, and her three young children in a house fire in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, early on Saturday, February 7, 2026.[1][2]
Pierce, who covered the Wild for 10 seasons, also contributed to outlets including The Athletic, B1G Ice Hockey blog, Minnesota Hockey Journal and Massachusetts Hockey.[3][4]
The White Bear Lake Fire Department responded to reports of flames coming through the roof of a single-family home. Fire crews recovered the family's dog, which also died in the blaze.[1][2]
Guerin, who has served as Wild general manager since December 16, 2019, spoke to reporters, describing Pierce as a "ray of sunshine" always in a good mood and a pleasure to interact with.[3][5]
"Words just can’t express how devastated we all are," Guerin said. "It doesn’t matter if you’re in the media, if you’re a player, if you’re in management, a coach, we are all in the sports world and the hockey world, and we’re all in this together."[3]
Wild forward Marcus Foligno said the team was "devastated" and would "miss her around the rink for sure." Captain Jared Spurgeon, who has led the team since October 12, 2019, recalled Pierce bringing her children to the dressing room and her positive energy.[3][6][7]
The Minnesota Wild issued a statement: "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."[3]
Sources
- FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, "NHL WRITER, 3 CHILDREN DIE IN MINNESOTA HOUSE FIRE, OFFICIALS SAY", February 7, 2026, https://www.fox9.com/news/white-bear-lake-house-fire-woman-3-children
- White Bear Lake Fire Department / City of White Bear Lake, Fire incident report page, February 7, 2026, https://www.whitebearlake.org/departments/fire-department
- Fox News Digital, "Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin joined those in the hockey community mourning the loss of beloved hockey writer Jessi Pierce", February 8, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/minnesota-wild-gm-bill-guerin-mourns-nhl-reporter-jessi-pierce-children-house-fire
- NHL.com, Jessi Pierce author profile and bio, accessed February 2026, https://www.nhl.com/news/author/jessi-pierce
- NHL.com Minnesota Wild, Management - Bill Guerin bio, accessed February 2026, https://www.nhl.com/wild/team/management
- NHL.com Minnesota Wild, Roster - Marcus Foligno, accessed February 2026, https://www.nhl.com/wild/roster
- NHL.com, "Spurgeon named 10th captain in franchise history", October 12, 2019, https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/spurgeon-named-10th-captain-in-franchise-history-310664602
