Jared Spurgeon, other Wild players and coaches pay tribute to Jessi Pierce

The entire hockey community continues to grieve and mourn the loss of Minnesota Wild reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children, who died in a house fire on Saturday morning. It's an unspeakable tragedy that brought the hockey community together to honor someone who brought so much heart, humor, and zest to both her job and those around her.

Since Saturday, tributes have been pouring in from all corners of the hockey world. A GoFundMe set up on Sunday reached over $130,000 (and counting) in less than 24 hours, as fans outside Minnesota have joined the cause to honor Jessi's legacy. The NHL released a statement remembering Pierce, as did the Wild and just about every other team in the league to some degree.

Tributes went global, with outlets like ESPN, The Hollywood Reporter, and European publications writing about the unbelievable outpouring of love for the impact Pierce had on everyone who was lucky enough to find their way into her orbit, in one way or another.

Locally, the tributes were impossible to miss. Judd Zulgad dedicated a heartwrenching episode of his hockey show to grappling with the loss, bringing in Bardown Beauties Podcast co-host Kirsten Krull; Purple Daily sidelined Vikings talk to remember Pierce alongside a slew of guests; Patrick Ruesse spent some time on a heartfelt tribute to Pierce. Anywhere you looked in Minnesota, Jessi was on the minds of sports fans, and that includes the team she covered so tremendously.

Minnesota Wild players and coaches pay tribute to Jessi Pierce

While the Wild released a statement on Sunday, tributes continued on Monday when the team was back at practice. Bill Guerin, John Hynes, and Jared Spurgeon were among those who spoke about how much Pierce meant to them and how much she will be missed.

It's undeniable that there's a hole in the State of Hockey that won't ever be filled the same way. Pierce didn't just cover the game well; it's the way she did it that makes the loss even more impossible than it already was.

She was a fixture at the rink, both as a reporter and a mother who never compartmentalized her life into work or family. It was all the same thing, and anyone who was lucky enough to cross paths with her was better for it.

That's abundantly clear in the sheer scope of the tributes in the aftermath of her passing.

A common thread in stories being told about Pierce is how unapologetically herself she was, but in a way that endeared her to everyone around her. She forged her own way -- bootstrapping her career and earning every step she took -- but left the lights on for anyone who wanted to follow an often dark and difficult path for women in sports. It's rare to find someone as dedicated to the people around them as they are to their craft, which is why so many tears are being shed between fond and sometimes goofy memories of why she was so special.

The hockey community is darker without Pierce in it -- and the world, for that matter -- but it's clear that the legacy she leaves will not soon be forgotten.