Minnesota Wild Honors Late Reporter Jessi Pierce

0:00On April 4th, the Minnesota Wild paid a heartfelt tribute to their long-time NHL.com reporter, Jesse Pears, during Thursday's 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, the first home game since her tragic death. Pears, 37, lost her life in a house fire on March 21st, along with her three young children and family dog, while her husband was. Away on business, colleagues set up her press box seat with two blankets, just like the one she always brought to fight the chill, plus a framed photo, flowers, and even a hot dog, her game night go-to snack from the alumni room. Statsheets were still past her spot, keeping her presence alive throughout the match. Reporters Sarah McClellan and Michael Russo created custom pins featuring three hockey sticks for her kids Hudson, Caden, and Avery, plus a microphone. For her broadcasting legacy, they handed them out to arena staff and fellow journalists. The Wild kicked off with a moment of silence and a scoreboard tribute,

1:02touching everyone in the building. Pears covered every wild home game for 10 seasons, building deep ties with the posing players and coaches who texted condolences, praising her. Post-game interviews in visitor areas. A graduate of Iowa State, her byline spanned outlets like the athletic and USA hockey. The team is now planning a permanent memorial at Gran Casino Arena, ensuring Jesse Spirits stays woven into wild games for years to come. That's the story for today, in HL News Today, driven by AI. I'm Cory with the story.