It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Johan Nilsson, the founder of Elite Prospects and the person whose curiosity and passion for hockey planted the seed for everything we have built together.
Born on the 9th of April 1981, Johan founded Elite Prospects in December 1999 at just 18 years old. What started as a vision driven by a deep love of hockey grew into the world’s leading hockey platform, a testament to the kind of person he was. Johan had a rare combination of qualities: sharp intellect, deep knowledge, and a kindness that made everyone around him feel valued.
He could dive into the most complex problems with calm and clarity, and he brought that same thoughtfulness to the people he worked with every day. For the past nine years, Johan faced a battle with colon cancer with the same calm and strength that defined everything he did.
His love of hockey was never just about the game. It was about understanding it fully, honestly, and in all its detail. That drive is woven into the DNA of Elite Prospects, and it will continue to shape the future of what we do.
To know Johan was to be quietly inspired by him. We are all immensely grateful that we got to work alongside someone like him. Our deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones. He will be greatly missed, by all of us and by the global hockey community. Johan leaves behind his beloved wife and two children, aged two and eight.
There are no words to express how heartbroken we all are.
Jessi Pierce (Hinrichs) was the most vibrant person - the life of the party, always with a smile on her face, always bringing a passion to every article and podcast and interview she did. Jessi simply loved covering the Wild and hockey throughout Minnesota and had a way of brightening everyone’s day with her upbeat, bubbly personality. I have literally NEVER met anybody that had a way of being EVERYBODY’s friend.
More than anything, she absolutely loved Hudson, Cayden and Avery and was the greatest mother who did everything she could to bring joy to her sweetest kids. Even at Friday’s practice in her beloved Iowa State sweatshirt, she was so excited to take them to the seasonal opening of Cup and Cone in WBL. Seeing those precious pics yesterday, she provided them with another incredibly fun and loving day.
My heart breaks for Mike for the loss of his wife and children and Jessi’s family, friends and colleagues for this unimaginable loss. This hockey community lost a wonderful, energetic and one of a kind voice and story teller and Grade A person.
Life can be unbearably unfair sometimes, and it’s impossible to make sense of this tragedy.
Please keep Jessi and her beautiful kids in your thoughts and prayers. I wish Mike all the peace and support and happiness in the world.
A lot of tears were shed at the arena yesterday. We, in the Wild media and inside the Wild, will miss seeing Jessi everyday, laughing with her everyday. The press box and press room won’t be the same without her. It’ll be a lot quieter, a lot less funny. But her passion and joy for covering this hockey team and sport will remain.
Sorry for the length of this, but as Jessi knew better than most as my original Athletic “backup” and somebody who always gave me Minnesota Hockey Journal deadline extensions, as she used to joke, I’m incapable of writing tight.
Especially about her.
RIP Jessi, Hudson, Cayden and Avery. 🙏💔
ÄNTLIGEN dags att spela in ett nytt avsnitt av @SBNHLpodcast om ett par timmar. Skicka in era lyssnarfrågor så att @NiclasViberg får med den i körschemat.
Ny NHL-podcast ute! Vi går igenom Minnesotas satsning på Hughes och Edmontons chansning på Jarry. Dessutom lite snack kring Buffalos beslut, Danaults framtid i Los Angeles samt Sveriges och Kanadas OS-trupper.
https://t.co/vn60MBJR01
Ny NHL-podcast ute! Vi går igenom Minnesotas satsning på Hughes och Edmontons chansning på Jarry. Dessutom lite snack kring Buffalos beslut, Danaults framtid i Los Angeles samt Sveriges och Kanadas OS-trupper.
https://t.co/vn60MBJR01
Vi siktar på att spela in ett nytt avsnitt av @SBNHLpodcast under fredagseftermiddagen. Skicka in era lyssnarfrågor så att @NiclasViberg får med dem i körschemat.
Vi siktar på att spela in ett nytt avsnitt av @SBNHLpodcast under fredagseftermiddagen. Skicka in era lyssnarfrågor så att @NiclasViberg får med dem i körschemat.