Blue Jackets fire GM Jarmo Kekalainen midway through his 11th full season

By Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press on February 15, 2024.

The Columbus Blue Jackets fired general manager Jarmo Kekalainen on Thursday, ending his time on the job after more than a decade.

President of hockey operations John Davidson made the call midway through Kekalainen’s 11th full season on the job. Kekalainen was the third-longest tenured GM in the NHL.

Davidson and the hockey operations team will assume GM duties on an interim basis until a full-time replacement is hired.

“This is one of the hardest days I have had in my career as Jarmo is a friend, someone I have a great deal of respect for and someone who has done a lot of good things during his time here,” Davidson said in a statement. “While the future of our club is bright, our performance has not been good enough, and it is time for a fresh perspective as we move forward.”

The move comes with the Blue Jackets in last place in the Eastern Conference and on track to miss the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year. It’s also several months since the botched hiring of coach Mike Babcock, who was forced to resign on the eve of training camp for his conduct with players.

Ownership, after Kekalainen and Davidson named Pascal Vincent coach following the Babcock fiasco, said in September there would not be any front office changes at that time. But the heat was clearly on given the lack of success since the franchise’s last playoff appearance in 2020.

“On behalf of our ownership group, I’d like to thank Jarmo for his hard work and commitment over the past 11 years,” majority owner John P. McConnell said. “He and Tiina, and their daughters, are special people who will always be a part of our Blue Jackets family and I wish them the very best in the next chapter of their lives.”

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