Hockey world mourns loss of Wild reporter Pierce

NHL reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children were killed Saturday in a house fire in Minnesota, the league said Sunday.

Pierce, 37, covered the Minnesota Wild as the correspondent for NHL.com for the past decade.

"The entire NHL.com team is devastated and heartbroken by the loss of Jessi and her children," Bill Price, vice president and editor in chief of NHL.com, said in a statement. "Jessi's love of her family and hockey was evident in the energy and passion she brought to her work for us. She was an absolute joy to talk to and work with. She will be deeply missed."

Added the NHL in a statement: "The entire National Hockey League family sends our prayers and deepest condolences to the Pierce family on the passing of Jessi Pierce and her three young children. Jessi loved our game and was a valued member of the NHL.com team for a decade. We will miss her terribly."

Firefighters responded to a house fire Saturday morning in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Neighbors called 911 and reported seeing flames coming through the roof. Fire crews located an adult, three children and a dog inside the house and all were deceased, the White Bear Lake Fire Department said. The department did not release the names of the victims in its statement Saturday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

"Our hearts ache for those involved in this tragedy," fire chief Greg Peterson said in the statement. "We ask for the opportunity to allow our community to come together and support one another during this difficult time."

The Wild mourned her loss on social media Sunday.

"Jessi was a kind, compassionate person that cared deeply about her family and those around her. She served as an ambassador for the game of hockey during her time covering the Wild and the NHL," the social media post read.

Minnesota is known as the "State of Hockey," and the Wild have had one of the biggest fan bases since their inception in 2000. The North Stars had moved to Dallas to become the Stars in the early 1990s.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.