{"id":4675,"date":"2026-03-27T14:15:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/?p=4675"},"modified":"2026-03-27T14:15:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T14:15:15","slug":"nhl-reporter-jessi-pierce-and-three-children-pass-away-after-minnesota-house-fire4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/?p=4675","title":{"rendered":"NHL Reporter Jessi Pierce and Three Children Pass Away After Minnesota House Fire4"},"content":{"rendered":"

Minnesota\u2019s hockey world was blindsided this weekend by tragedy: the deaths of beloved NHL reporter Jessi Pierce, also known as Jessica Hinrichs, along with her three children.<\/p>\n

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Only hours before, the four were out enjoying the first tastes of spring, documenting a Friday full of smiles and local treats. They enjoyed their Friday but didn\u2019t live to see Saturday; in fact, they never even had the chance to wake up as the weekend began.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen in a post dated December 1, 2025 | Source: Instagram\/jessip224<\/p>\n

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They likely had a full itinerary of hockey and family fun planned for the rest of the month, but those plans were cut short in the pre-dawn darkness. What exactly happened in the early morning stillness of that White Bear Lake home?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen in a post dated December 1, 2025 | Source: Instagram\/jessip224<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A Tornado of Smoke<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Just before 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, 2026, the quiet suburban street became a nightmare of sirens and flames.\u00a0Neighbors spotted fire<\/a>\u00a0tearing through the roof of the Pierce home and frantically called 911, fearing the family was trapped inside.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen in a post dated February 6, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The White Bear Lake Fire Department arrived to find a fully involved structure fire and worked to suppress the blaze. When crews were finally able to enter the home, they found an adult, three children, and the family dog, all deceased.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The blaze had already consumed much of the two-story home. Fire Chief Greg Peterson issued a brief statement, calling it \u201ca tragedy that has shaken this community,\u201d and urged privacy and compassion as investigators work to determine the cause.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen in a post dated March 19, 2026 | Source: Instagram\/jessip224<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Victims: A Family Loved by All<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Authorities did not immediately identify the victims, but by Saturday evening, heartbreak spread online as multiple outlets confirmed that the victims were\u00a0Pierce and her children, Hudson, Cayden, and Avery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen with her children in a post dated February 20, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Neighbor Julie Andrus, who had lived next door to the Pierces for seven years, described the family as \u201cso nice\u201d and recalled the children always playing outside.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Of the fire itself, she\u00a0told<\/a>\u00a0the\u00a0Star Tribune<\/i>: \u201cWe were sleeping. By the time the cops woke us, it was like a tornado of smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce is pictured with one of her children, dated February 22, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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One Last Outing<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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The day before the fire, Pierce had taken Hudson, Cayden, and Avery to the seasonal opening of Cup and Cone, a beloved local ice cream spot in White Bear Lake.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She\u00a0posted<\/a>\u00a0a photo of the long line stretching down the sidewalk on X, captioning it \u201cCup and cone opening day 3\/20\/26.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce queues outside Cup Cone, dated March 20, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In a follow-up post, she\u00a0shared<\/a>\u00a0two photos \u2014 one of all three children sitting together enjoying their ice cream, and another of one of her sons digging into a sandwich \u2014 captioning it \u201cBag(s) secured.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Cayden,<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Cayden, Hudson, and Avery enjoy their dessert, dated March 20, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Those posts, now viewed by thousands in the wake of the tragedy, became a heartbreaking record of the family\u2019s final hours together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"One<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

One of Jessi Pierce\u2019s sons digs into a sandwich, from a post dated March 20, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Who Was Jessi Pierce?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Pierce, also known by her married name Jessica Hinrichs, was 37 years old and had spent 10 seasons writing for\u00a0NHL.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen in a post dated February 22, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She was a constant presence at Minnesota Wild home games, often bundled up against the press box chill at Grand Casino Arena, and was the kind of person who made everyone around her feel seen, whether it was their first meeting or their 50th.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen in a post dated March 2, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Beyond her writing, she hosted and featured on hockey podcasts at SKOR North, carving out a reputation across Minnesota as someone who genuinely loved the sport and the people in it. Players, coaches, and front office staff alike knew her by name.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Colleagues consistently described her as someone who brought energy and openness to a beat that runs on trust.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen in a post dated March 12, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tributes Pour In from the Hockey World<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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By Sunday morning, social media was flooded with tributes from colleagues and fans.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Veteran reporter\u00a0Michael Russo<\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0The Athletic<\/i>\u00a0shared a long, emotional\u00a0tribute<\/a>\u00a0remembering Pierce as \u201cthe most vibrant person \u2014 the life of the party, always with a smile on her face.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce smiles at the camera, dated March 1, 2026 | Source: Instagram\/jessip224<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Russo added that Pierce \u201csimply loved covering the Wild and hockey throughout Minnesota,\u201d calling her \u201cthe greatest mother who did everything she could to bring joy to her sweetest kids.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen with two of her children in a post dated March 12, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Russo\u2019s tribute also turned to Pierce\u2019s husband, Mike Hinrichs, who was not home when the fire broke out, making him the sole survivor of his immediate family. \u201cMy heart breaks for Mike for the loss of his wife and children and Jessi\u2019s family, friends, and colleagues for this unimaginable loss.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce, dated February 8, 2026 | Source: Instagram\/jessip224<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Russo had seen Pierce just the morning before the fire, at Wild practice, wearing her Iowa State sweatshirt and already counting down the hours until the Cup and Cone outing with her kids.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI have literally NEVER met anybody that had a way of being EVERYBODY\u2019s friend,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce | Source: Instagram\/jessip224<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He ended with words that echoed across hockey\u2019s tight-knit media world: \u201cLife can be unbearably unfair sometimes, and it\u2019s impossible to make sense of this tragedy.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce, dated February 7, 2026 | Source: Instagram\/jessip224<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A Community in Mourning<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Within days, those closest to the family launched a\u00a0GoFundMe campaign<\/a>\u00a0to help Hinrichs cover funeral costs and steady himself financially through the grief ahead. By Monday, donors had contributed more than $62,000 of the $80,000 goal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen with her son in a post dated March 6, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The campaign painted a picture of a woman who poured herself into motherhood, driven by a need to make every day count for her children. Each of the three kids had a personality all their own, the post noted, but all three shared their mother\u2019s appetite for fun and adventure.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen with her daughter in a post dated February 22, 2026 | Source: X\/jessi_pierce<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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As Russo summed up what the broader hockey community was sitting with: \u201cThis hockey community lost a wonderful, energetic, and [one-of-a-kind] voice and storyteller and Grade A person.\u201d The press box, he said, will never quite be the same.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen in a post dated February 25, 2026 | Source: Instagram\/jessip224<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What\u2019s Next for the Investigation<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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The\u00a0Minnesota State Fire Marshal\u2019s Office<\/i>\u00a0is leading the investigation into what caused the fire. Officials have released no updates about possible electrical or structural issues, and neighbors said they hadn\u2019t noticed anything unusual at the home prior to the incident.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The\u00a0White Bear Lake Fire Department<\/i>\u00a0says more information will be shared when available, asking residents to give the surviving family privacy in the meantime.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce\u2019s three children seen in a post dated February 11, 2026 | Source: Instagram\/jessip224<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A Legacy That Won\u2019t Burn Out<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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In arenas she turned into second homes, Pierce\u2019s absence will leave what one fellow reporter called \u201ca lot quieter, a lot less funny\u201d space.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But even as fans, players, and colleagues struggle to process the loss, there\u2019s little doubt that her trademark enthusiasm \u2014 and her love for her children \u2014 will remain a lasting part of Minnesota\u2019s hockey story.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Jessi<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Jessi Pierce seen in a post dated February 11, 2026 | Source: Instagram\/jessip224<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The final mystery of\u00a0what started the fire<\/a>\u00a0still lingers. Yet for those who knew her, the greater question can\u2019t be solved with science or reports:\u00a0How do you fill the silence left by someone who made every room brighter?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Minnesota\u2019s hockey world was blindsided this weekend by tragedy: the deaths of beloved NHL reporter Jessi Pierce, also known as Jessica Hinrichs, along with her three children. Only hours before, … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4677,"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4675\/revisions\/4677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starnews1.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}