As tributes continue to pour in for late NHL reporter Jessi Pierce following her tragic death in a Minnesota house fire, public attention has turned to her husband, Mike Hinrichs, the only surviving member of the family.
Pierce, 37, died along with her three young children in a devastating fire at their home in White Bear Lake on March 21. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire, which engulfed the house before emergency responders could rescue those inside.
Hinrichs has since become the focus of widespread public interest as details about his life and relationship with Pierce emerge.
Read more: Jessi Pierce death: Minnesota Wild reporter dies in White Bear Lake house fire
5 things to know about Mike Hinrichs
1. Mike lived a private life away from spotlight
Mike Hinrichs had a somewhat private existence, in contrast to his wife, who established a prominent career covering the NHL and the Minnesota Wild.
{{/usCountry}}Mike Hinrichs had a somewhat private existence, in contrast to his wife, who established a prominent career covering the NHL and the Minnesota Wild.
{{/usCountry}}Despite Pierce's popularity in sports journalism, he maintained a low profile and hardly appeared in public-facing media.
2. Mike and Pierce had a loving bond
The couple shared a close bond, often reflected in Pierce’s social media posts, where she expressed gratitude for her husband and family life.
In a three-year-old X post, Pierce expresses that she is “grateful” for her husband on Thanksgiving Day, where she mentions Mike “will drive to Wisconsin where liquor stores are open because we forgot earlier this week.”
Read more: 'Grateful for husband...': Jessi Pierce's post for family resurfaces after death
2. Mike was away when the house caught fire
According to reporting from The Athletic, Mike was away on a work trip when the fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Firefighters responded to emergency calls around 5:30 a.m., but the home was already fully engulfed in flames. By the time crews entered, Pierce, her children, and the family dog had died.
Authorities have not yet released a definitive cause of the fire, though investigations by local officials and the state fire marshal’s office are ongoing.
3. Mike receives community support and a GoFundMe page
In the wake of the tragedy, Diana Johnson-Salvador launched fundraising efforts to support Mike in an “unimaginably difficult time.”
The GoFundMe campaign launched by Salvador has already raised over $130,000 to help cover funeral expenses and provide financial support.
4. Mike and Pierce had three children together
The GoFundMe page describes Mike as the “loving father” to his and Pierce's three children. The couple had two sons and a daughter together.
Hudson, 8, Cayden, 6, and their daughter, Avery, 4, passed away along with their mother and the family dog in the White Bear Lake fire.