The Minnesota hockey community is mourning the tragic loss of reporter and podcaster Jessi Pierce.
Pierce died in an early Saturday morning house fire in White Bear Lake, along with her three children and a dog, according to several of her colleagues and media outlets.
The Star Tribune reported that her kids were Hudson, age 8; Cayden, age 6; and Avery, age 4.
Her husband was out of town on a work trip, according to The Athletic, which published a moving obituary of Pierce.
Pierce, 37, wrote for NHL.com and contributed coverage for the Wild. She also co-hosted the "Bardown Beauties" podcast on SKOR North.
What they're saying: Tributes to Pierce flowed all over social media Sunday, with many noting that she was quick to help others, befriended everyone and always had a big smile on her face.
"Jessi simply loved covering the Wild and hockey throughout Minnesota and had a way of brightening everyone's day with her upbeat, bubbly personality," wrote Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Her podcast co-host Kirsten Krull called Pierce a "big sister" and wrote that "most importantly, she was the best mom and loved her kids and family fiercely."
The White Bear Lake Fire Department said it's investigating what caused the fire.
