Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin joined those in the hockey community mourning the loss of beloved hockey writer Jessi Pierce and her three young children in a tragic house fire on Saturday.
Guerin spoke with reporters when he called Pierce, a Wild reporter for NHL.com, a “ray of sunshine” and couldn’t contain how “devastated” he was for her family and friends.
“Words just can’t express how devastated we all are,” Guerin said. “But, as I mentioned to some of you the other night, 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.”
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Guerin spoke to what it was like interacting with Pierce on the job.
“Jessi was always happy, always in a good mood, always a pleasure to deal with for me, and we’ll miss her,” he explained. “The great thing about our community is it doesn’t matter what part of it you’re in – media, player, coach, manager – we’re all in this together and we support each other.
“I just want you guys to know that we’re here for you and anything that we can possibly do for you guys to help through the tough times, we’re here for you.”
NHL WRITER, 3 CHILDREN DIE IN MINNESOTA HOUSE FIRE, OFFICIALS SAY
Pierce covered the Wild for 10 seasons with NHL.com, impacting not just Guerin and the front office, but players as well. Wild forward Marcus Foligno told reporters that the whole team was “devastated” to hear the news of Pierce, saying they will “miss her around the rink for sure.”
Pierce was known to bring her children to work, which Wild captain Jared Spurgeon pointed out.
“If you ever met her, you just feel the energy around her,” he said. “Every time she was in here, she had a smile on her face, whether it’s talking about the game at hand or just youth sports.
“I remember when she would bring the kids into the dressing room and do an interview holding [her son]. It’s very hard news to take.”
Pierce also had her work featured in The Athletic, B1G Ice Hockey blog, the Minnesota Hockey Journal and Massachusetts Hockey.
The incident involving Pierce and her children occurred in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, fire officials said. The White Bear Lake Fire Department responded to a report of a fire at a single-family home early Saturday morning.
Bystanders reported seeing flames come through the roof, according to FOX 9. Fire crews also located the family’s dog, who also died in the fire.
“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.”
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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