The Columbus Blue Jackets fired general manager Jarmo Kekalainen Thursday morning, just weeks before the NHL trade deadline.
Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson has been named interim general manager while the hiring process for Kekalainen’s replacement continues. The latter was spending his 11th full season with the Blue Jackets, and was preparing for the NHL trade deadline scheduled for March 8.
Kekalainen was third among the longest-serving general managers in the Bettman circuit before his dismissal.
“This is one of the hardest days of my career, because Jarmo is a friend, someone I have a lot of respect for and someone who has done a lot of good things during his time here,” Davidson said in a statement.
Davidson said at a press conference in Columbus that the priority was to identify candidates for the general manager position who did not come from outside the organization, and warned that the process was likely to be long and complex.
Kekalainen’s firing comes as the Blue Jackets are on track to be out of the playoffs for a fourth straight season. The Ohio team could be sellers at the trade deadline, since center Jack Roslovic could become an unrestricted free agent and several other players could be used as bargaining chips.
Davidson and assistant general managers Josh Flynn and Basil McRae will make those decisions, not Kekalainen.
“We have a lot of work to do,” admitted Davidson, who explained the timing of Kekalainen’s dismissal by the fact, among other things, that he recently underwent back surgery. We have had ups and downs, periods of turbulence, this season. I just believe that for the future, it was the right time, to turn the page in order to make all the decisions that we will have to make [au cours des prochains mois]. »
The decision also came months after controversy rocked the organization surrounding the hiring of head coach Mike Babcock. The latter was forced to resign on the eve of the opening of training camp, due to his behavior towards the team’s players.
Team president Mike Priest joined Davidson for the press conference, and he defended the owners’ involvement in the process and timing of this announcement.
“You can think of a few reasons: You don’t want him to be in bad shape at the trade deadline, which would prevent him from doing his job adequately,” Priest said. These are issues that you can see. It is debatable whether this is a good time or not. [pour cette annonce], but when decisions are made and they respect the people involved, then we have to make those decisions and we have to be completely transparent. »
The ownership group indicated in September that there would be no changes to the club’s management, after Kekalainen and Davidson named Quebecer Pascal Vincent to succeed Babcock. The team was under pressure, however, due to its lack of success this season and the fact that it has not made the playoffs since 2020.
Kekalainen, who is 57 years old, was hired by the Blue Jackets on February 13, 2013.
The Blue Jackets (16-26-10), who occupy last place in the Eastern Conference, will play their next game Saturday night against the Sharks in San Jose.
The results under the aegis of Vincent were hardly more brilliant. The Blue Jackets won 16 of their first 52 games, and star players such as Johnny Gaudreau were often benched late in games. The firing of Kekalainen could therefore lead to many other changes for the Blue Jackets after the conclusion of the season in April.