The Columbus Blue Jackets have relieved Jarmo Kekalainen of his duties as general manager of the National Hockey League club, President of Hockey Operations and Deputy Governor John Davidson announced today. Davidson will assume general manager duties alongside the team's hockey operations management team while the club goes through the process of hiring a replacement.
The media availability with Davidson will be broadcast live and recorded today at 11:30 a.m. ET on the Blue Jackets' YouTube page and then posted on BlueJackets.com.
“This is one of the hardest days of my career because Jarmo is a friend, someone I have great respect for and who has done a lot of good in his time here,” Davidson said. “Although the future of our club is bright, our performance has not been good enough and it is time for a new perspective for the future.”
Kekalainen, 57, was named the third general manager in Blue Jackets history on February 13, 2013. During his tenure, the club compiled a record of 410-362-97 in 869 games, which is the longest in franchise history. Columbus qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs five times (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) and recorded its four winningest seasons in terms of points during that span: 2016-17 (50-24-8, 108 points, . 659). ), 2018-19 (47-31-4, 98 points, .598), 2017-18 (45-30-7, 97 points, .591) and 2019-20 (33-22-15, 81 points., .579).
“On behalf of our ownership group, I would like to thank Jarmo for his hard work and commitment over the last 11 years,” said Blue Jackets majority owner and governor John P. McConnell. “He and Tiina and their daughters are special people who will always be a part of our Blue Jackets family, and I wish them all the best in the next chapter of their lives.”
The Blue Jackets return to action on Saturday when they visit the San Jose Sharks. Game time at the SAP Center in San Jose is 10:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage on Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports+ and the Bally Sports app begins with the pre-game show “Blue Jackets Live” starting at 10 p.m. The game can also be heard on the Blue Jackets Radio Network, including 97.1 The Fan in Columbus and online at BlueJackets.com.