Last in the Eastern Association of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Columbus Blue Jackets fired their general manager Jarmo Kekalainen on Thursday.
Having suffered two losses in a row, the Ohio team claims 42 points and is heading towards a fourth exclusion from the series in a row. Kekalainen’s tenure began 11 years ago, in February 2013. The team never made it past the second playoff round under his leadership.
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“This is one of the most difficult days of my career, because Jarmo is a friend and someone I respect enormously. He accomplished a lot of good things during his time here, said president of hockey operations John Davidson in a press release. Even if the future of our club is bright, our performance is not good enough and it is time to rely on a fresh outlook to move forward.
Consequently, Davidson will assume the functions of CEO on an interim basis. He will be responsible for managing preparation for the trade deadline.
“Sometimes the time seems right, during a turbulent season of ups and downs, to conclude a stage and move forward,” he said at a press conference. We did good things and young ones hatched. That’s the current feeling and the decision we made as a group.”
Vincent except
The 2023-2024 year was very eventful for the Jackets, who gave the mission of leading the club to Pascal Vincent after the departure of Mike Babcock, the latter not having worked a single match.
The Quebec coach’s job would be safe for now, with Davidson indicating no further changes would be in the plans at this time. The interim CEO will, however, conduct an “A to Z” evaluation of the team upon returning from the three-game trip to the American West.
“Rebuilding, retooling, whatever you want to call it, it’s not important to me. What’s important is that we are improving. The future of our club is our good veterans and our young people who are developing,” explained Davidson.
Very close to Kekalainen, the 70-year-old recognizes that the last few years have not been easy on and off the ice for the Jackets. In addition to Babcock’s premature dismissal, the death of goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks in July 2021 greatly affected the organization.
“There are some difficult things that have happened here. We will continue to work to improve in all aspects. […] We know we are going in the right direction,” assured Davidson.
Already calls
Even if the president of the Jackets says he has no candidate in mind as the next general manager, certain names will quickly come up in the rumors. Former team player Mathieu Darche is patiently waiting for his chance with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“I’m looking for someone […] energetic, intelligent, described Davidson. Someone who can evaluate players and understands the analytical approach. I know when we discuss it, someone will stand out. Nothing is off limits, we will look everywhere.”
“I believe we will receive a lot of calls; in fact, it has already started, he continued. It’s a good situation here with the owners, the city, the talented group we’ve assembled. It’s not like you have to start all over again. I think there will be a lot of interest.”
The Blue Jackets, who had a few days off before the trip out West, will visit the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.