Wild players, staff shocked after Jessi Pierce’s death in White Bear Lake fire

Minnesota Wild players, staff carry heavy hearts after Jessi Pierce's death

The Minnesota Wild start a three-game road trip at the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night, and the team will be playing with heavy hearts the rest of the season. That's after Jessi Pierce, who covered the Wild for NHL.com, was found dead in a house fire in White Bear Lake early Saturday morning, along with her three kids.

WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Wild start a three-game road trip at the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night, and the team will be playing with heavy hearts the rest of the season.

That’s after Minnesota sports journalist Jessi Pierce and her three kids died in a house fire in White Bear Lake early Saturday morning. Pierce covered the Wild as a sports writer for NHL.com, and built close relationships with several players and staff.

Just hours after learning of her death, the Wild somehow managed to beat the Dallas Stars 2-1 in overtime. After Monday’s practice at TRIA Rink, Bill Guerin, John Hynes and several players reflected on Pierce.

Wild shocked, saddened at Jessi Pierce’s death

What they're saying:

Wild players and staff still had a look of shock on their faces after practice Monday, speaking about Pierce.

"Words just can’t express how devastated we all are, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the media, if you’re a player, in management, if you’re a coach. We’re all in this hockey world together. Jessi was always happy, always in a good mood, always a pleasure to deal with for me. We’ll miss her. I just want you guys to know we’re here for you," Guerin said.

"Hopefully we can all carry on her legacy with the smile, the passion for the game and the way she treated people. It’s tremendous to see the legacy she left, you see all the outpouring of support and the impact she had. Just pray for her and her family and everyone that’s involved," Hynes said.

Wild captain Jared Spurgeon and locker room leader Marcus Foligno were among several players to speak after practice Monday.

"It’s unimaginable, we’re all very shook here. If you ever met her, you could feel the energy around her. Every time she was in here, she had a smile on her face. Whether it’s talking about the game at hand or youth sports, still remember when she would bring the kids to the dressing room and do interviews holding them. It’s very hard news to take," Spurgeon said.

"It’s tough, we felt it after last game. Seeing the look on a lot of people’s faces, just in shock. It’s devastating, just thinking about Jessi, the kids and obviously her husband. Family and everyone that knew her and loved her, we’ll definitely miss her around the rink," Foligno said.

White Bear Lake house fire

The backstory:

The White Bear Lake Fire Department said its crews responded to a reported fire at a single-family home in the 2100 block of Richard Avenue just before 5:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Neighbors who called 911 reported seeing flames coming through the roof of the house and said there were likely people inside. 

Arriving firefighters then "found a fully involved structure fire" and tried to suppress it. 

Firefighters then found a deceased adult as well as three deceased children inside the house. Speaking with FOX 9 on Sunday, White Bear Lake Fire Chief Greg Peterson confirmed Pierce was the adult victim found dead after the fire.

Crews also located a dead dog. 

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.