"This award represents something much bigger than hockey," Wild general manager Bill Guerin said. "It honors the memory of Jessi and her children, and the positive impact she had on everyone she worked with. The warmth, kindness, and generosity she brought to the rink left a lasting impression on our hockey community, and we are honored to carry her legacy forward by recognizing those who embody that same spirit."
Pierce, along with her three children, died in a house fire on March 21, 2026. Monday would have been Pierce's 39th birthday.
The Wild's beat reporters issued the following statement:
"Jessi always showed up to the rink eager and excited, engaging everyone with her infectious smile and passion for the sport. She had a knack for asking questions and cultivating stories because she put players and coaches at ease with her curiosity and genuine interest.
"We feel her absence daily, and this award will be a reminder of the rapport she had that is essential to covering the Wild and keeping the State of Hockey informed, which she loved doing."
A contributor to NHL.com for the previous 10 seasons, Pierce was a fixture on the area's sports scene, through her vibrant feed on X, her work as a co-host for the "Bardown Beauties" podcast about the Wild and her appearances on a Minnesota Vikings podcast. She would happily tell people about her journey to become an NHL writer, a dream she first articulated when she was 18.
Pierce's work on hockey appeared in countless publications, including USA Hockey, the Minnesota Hockey Journal, Massachusetts Hockey, The Athletic and the B1G Ice Hockey blog, which covered Big Ten ice hockey. A proud graduate of Iowa State University, she covered multiple sports -- in print and through video -- during her four years there.
She also served as a team manager and kept stats for the Mahtomedi High School boys hockey team. Only a couple of weeks before the tragedy, Pierce, proudly wearing her Zephyrs letter jacket, took her sons to Grand Casino Arena to watch Mahtomedi's team play in the semifinals of the Minnesota Boys State High School Hockey Tournament.
"Jessi was just a real gem," Mahtomedi coach Jeff Poeschl said. "She always was an advocate for our program in the different things that she did.
"She was a great young woman."
