Wild insider: Push the stars, pay the price -- plus much love for Jessi Pierce

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- It didn't take long after the Tampa Bay Lightning's Scott Sabourin delivered a hit to the back of Quinn Hughes that the enforcer had to answer for it. Wild veteran Nick Foligno called Sabourin an "honest player," but he didn't like the hit, calling it "unnecessary." So Foligno went toe to toe with Sabourin last Tuesday at mid-ice in a 90-second, big-boy bout. "That's what this team is. It builds the culture of protecting each other," Foligno said. "It was my turn this time. It's what we all bring." The idea of players standing up for each other is not new. But it's an important part of bringing a team closer together, sending a message to other teams on how things will be handled if top players are messed with. And Hughes, the former Norris Trophy winner, appreciated the gesture. "It obviously means a lot," he said. "It's the type of team we have. It starts with (general manager Bill Guerin) getting these guys. It's a competitive team, and I'm just really proud to be part of it. I feel like when teams have that (protecting each other), it's usually the teams that you see go far and deep. Just ultra competitive guys, men that stick up for each other and don't take any shit from the other team." Guerin acquired Foligno and Michael McCarron at the deadline. It wasn't necessarily with the thought of bringing in more fighters, but they do both have that element to their game. McCarron fought twice in this latest road trip, including bloodying the face of the Lightning's Corey Perry. And he has shown in recent games that he's quick to erupt if anybody takes liberties with teammates, especially his goalies. Against the Chicago Blackhawks, he went to town on Ryan Donato after a swipe at the Wild's crease after a whistle. Somehow he didn't get an extra minor. "I took a long time in my career to figure that one out," McCarron said. "I used to take a lot of minors for being maybe a little bit too much of a prick. Sometimes you just know that it's a long game and you can't get a guy right away. There's going to be another chance. "It's an art, I guess. It took me 12, 13 years to learn it. You don't want to be taking too many minors. It's OK if a guy comes (to the box) with you, but I don't know what the edge is. You just kind of feel it out. If a ref's on you and he's looking at everything you do, maybe that time is not the right time to do something. Maybe a little sneaky sometimes, too." McCarron said in a recent game against the Dallas Stars, he wanted to walk a fine line of being disciplined but also letting Dallas players know what will happen in a likely first-round matchup if they get too close to the Wild's goalies. "Everything is noticed. Everything is watched tightly," McCarron said. "You want to be smart. There are some times where there's scrums in front of the net where you can get a guy, but other than that, yeah, just play physical, play hard and be really hard to play against, be a prick. And that's pretty much what I try to do." Guerin knows there's been a lot of talk over the past few years about whether players should have to fight after clean hits, and he'd always rather a teammate step in and defend another than not do anything. "The good teams I was on all did it," said Guerin, a two-time Cup winner as a player. "The close teams I was on did it. Those are the things that make you a close team. Going out and drinking beers or having barbecues, that's not real closeness. Real closeness is how hard you play for each other, how you stick up for each other -- the things you do out there on the ice to make you closer. "What Nick did the other night shows what type of player he is. Those are the types of things that as a general manager I want here. And if something happens to Nick, I'd expect someone else to do the same. Not everyone really has fighting in their personal game, but there's a way you can stick up for your teammate, and that's what I see. It's been like that, and I don't think it's going away. I hope it doesn't." Marcus Foligno watched his brother's fight from the press box at Benchmark Arena and smiled. He was scratched due to a lower-body injury, but it got his adrenaline going. He even watched the replay a few times on his phone. "He's a tough guy," Marcus quipped. The culture of standing up for each other isn't new in the Wild room, and a big reason for that has been Marcus, who is typically one of the players who steps in and fights if need be. Or delivers a big hit. "It's huge," Marcus said. "It just propels you, and when things get tighter, games get tighter, and you have each other's backs, guys just feel more comfortable out there doing their thing. "Knowing that someone's going to answer the call and not shy down from that stuff, it just brings everyone into the battle a little bit more. It's just something that's always been an identity here in Minnesota." We should all be as loved as Jessi Pierce, the respected and very much missed former NHL.com writer and popular Wild podcaster. Well over a thousand people were in attendance during a four-hour block on Sunday for a public visitation in White Bear Lake to honor Jessi and her three kids, who tragically died in a house fire on March 21. It was beautiful and sad at the same time. There were colleagues, friends and family members, including Jessi's two brothers, her mother and father and her grieving husband, Mike Hinrichs. So many friends of her kids. Several people from the Wild came to pay their respects, including Guerin and his wife, Kara. And there were complete strangers who were fans of Jessi's public persona. It showed the impact Jessi had on everybody in the State of Hockey. Always smiling, always upbeat, always friendly, it was all so genuine with Jessi. She loved giving her time, she loved hockey, she loved people, and all of that was clearly felt in the community. "Jessi was just ... she was always happy, always in a good mood, always a pleasure to deal with," Guerin said. "Her constant good mood made her unique. She was a ray of sunshine." Added Marcus Foligno, "Just devastating. Just a fun woman. Just brought a smile wherever she went. ... She just loved hockey and the community that hockey provides. You're just thinking about Jessi, the kids and her husband and her family and everyone that knew her and loved her. We'll definitely miss her around the rink." Said captain Jared Spurgeon, "She was a special person that brought a lot of life to this room. She was always smiling, joking around. ... It's still hard to really wrap your mind around it. We're all very, very shook. If you ever met her, you could feel the energy around her. I still remember when she would bring the kids into the dressing room, doing interviews, holding them. All set to sign his entry-level deal, Wild 2023 first-round pick Charlie Stramel broke his ankle in his final college game for Michigan State -- a loss to Wisconsin, which advanced to the Frozen Four. The injury has delayed the process, as the Wild seek further clarity on its extent. Still, the Wild will likely sign Stramel to his entry-level contract in the coming days and burn the first year of the deal. That means Stramel would join the team, rehab with them and potentially be available in the playoffs. The University of Denver's Rieger Lorenz advanced to the Frozen Four as he seeks his second national championship. When his season ends, the 2022 second-round pick will likely sign a contract that starts in 2026-27. As for the University of Minnesota's Jimmy Clark, he is expected to return to school with the Wild retaining his rights.