Blue Jackets Fire GM Jarmo Kekalaninen After 12 Seasons
On Thursday, the Columbus Blue Jackets organization made an announcement regarding the firing of their General Manager, Jarmo Kekalainen. The decision came after the team's disappointing 16-26-10 record so far this season. Jarmo Kekalinen has been serving as the GM for the last 12 seasons and has been an instrumental figure in the history of the Blue Jackets organization. Despite his past successes, the President of Hockey Operations and friend of Kekalainen, John Davidson, had to make the difficult decision to let him go. “This is one of the hardest days I have had in my career as Jarmo is a friend… and someone who has done a lot of good things during his time here,” Davidson said.
Kekalainen made history when he was hired in February 2013, becoming the first European GM in NHL history. Under his leadership, the Blue Jackets made the playoffs four consecutive times from 2017-2020. He was responsible for assembling five of the team's six total playoff appearances in the 23-year history of the Columbus Blue Jackets. His most notable achievement was during the 2019 season when the Blue Jackets upset the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs, marking the only seven-game playoff series win in Blue Jackets history.
Although Kekalainen's tenure as GM was filled with impressive achievements and significant contributions, the team's recent performance, especially the 2023-24 season, had been underwhelming. After finishing last in the Eastern Conference in 2022, Kekalainen was already skating on thin ice. Additionally, his decision to overpay for Johnny Gaudreau with a franchise-recorded $68.25-million contract in 2022 did not yield the desired results. The combination of the lack of player development and back-to-back losing seasons prompted the organization to make the difficult decision to terminate Kekalainen's contract. Despite the tough decision, the Blue Jackets organization is confident about the future and is committed to continuing to build a winning team. They have one of the youngest squads in the NHL, and they believe that the team is set up in a good position for whoever takes over Kekalainen's position. The transition is expected to be seamless, and the organization is optimistic about a better future.
