Latest news with #JarmoKekäläinen
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former CBJ GM Jarmo Kekäläinen Gets A New NHL Job
Former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen has a new job. Kekäläinen has been hired by the Buffalo Sabres as a senior advisor and will report to GM Kevyn Adams, another former Blue Jacket. Per a PR statement, Kekäläinen "will be involved in all areas of the hockey department." Adams said about Jarmo, 'From his extensive history in scouting, his long tenure as an NHL general manager and his vast experience at the international and European pro levels, Jarmo has a remarkable resume and a long history of success in this league. I spoke with a number of candidates about this role and it's clear to me that Jarmo is a perfect fit for our team. I couldn't be more excited to add another significant piece to our front office as we continue the process of adding to our staff.' Advertisement Congrats to Jarmo Kekäläinen for landing a job in Buffalo. Let us know what you think below. Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story. 2025 Columbus Blue Jackets Potential Free Agent Targets: Gus Nyquist 2025 Columbus Blue Jackets Potential Free Agent Targets: Gus Nyquist This summer, Spencer Lazary and I will continue our series with more potential free agent targets that could be on the market on July 1st.
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Sad-sack Buffalo Sabres hire ex-Columbus boss Kekalainen as senior adviser
The Sabres are in the midst of an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought, with Adams on the hot seat entering the final year of his contract. Published May 30, 2025 • Last updated 5 minutes ago • 3 minute read FILE - Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen looks on during the second day of the NHL hockey draft, Thursday, June 29, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Photo by George Walker IV / AP BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres on Friday hired former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen to serve as a senior adviser, adding a wealth of experience to general manager Kevyn Adams' front-office staff. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Kekalainen will report to Adams in a newly created role in which he'll be involved in all areas of the hockey department, the team announced. The 58-year-old from Finland has been out of the NHL since being fired by the Blue Jackets in February 2024 following an 11-year term as GM — the league's first European-born person to hold the title. His hiring addresses growing criticism Adams has faced in having little experience overseeing the Sabres since taking over the job as a first-time GM after Jason Botterill was abruptly fired in June 2020. Adams, who is from the Buffalo-area, is a former player who had brief experience as an agent and assistant coach, and was working in the Sabres business department upon being hired as GM as part of a series of ownership's cost-cutting moves in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Sabres are in the midst of an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought, with Adams on the hot seat entering the final year of his contract. Amid questions regarding his job security in Buffalo, Adams placed an emphasis on upgrading his staff by saying 'we'll take a look at everything,' during his season-ending address to the media last month. The Sabres' season was undone by a 13-game skid in December, which Adams has since second-guessed himself as to whether he should have made a move to upgrade his roster. In a statement released by the team on Friday, Adams said Kekalainen quickly established himself as a prime candidate for the job of senior adviser during his search process. 'From his extensive history in scouting, his long tenure as an NHL general manager and his vast experience at the international and European pro levels, Jarmo has a remarkable resume and a long history of success in this league,' Adams said. 'I couldn't be more excited to add another significant piece to our front office as we continue the process of adding to our staff.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. During his tenure in Columbus, Kekalainen oversaw the most successful stretch in Blue Jackets history. The span included the team finishing with 43 or more wins four times, including a franchise record 50 in 2016-17, and qualifying for the playoffs five times, after doing so only once in its first 12 seasons of existence. 'We are aligned in our philosophies and share the same core beliefs on how to build a winning team,' Kekalainen said. 'I'm eager to help in any area I can, and think I can offer a fresh perspective to supplement the staff already in place as we look to improve our roster this offseason.' Kekalainen's addition comes after the Sabres hired former NHL forward — and former Adams teammate — Eric Staal in the role of special assistant to the GM. The Sabres front office currently features three assistant GMs in Jason Karmanos, Mark Jakubowski and Jerry Forton. Following a brief NHL playing career in the early 1990s split between Boston and Ottawa, Kekalainen made the transition to scouting, and eventually took on front-office roles with the Senators and St. Louis Blues. He also has experience at the international level in serving as assistant GM of Finland's national team at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where the nation won a bronze medal, and 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Crime World Olympics Sunshine Girls Toronto Raptors
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Sabres hire former Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen as senior adviser
The Buffalo Sabres made another addition to their front office on Friday, hiring former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen as a senior adviser. He will report to general manager Kevyn Adams and assist in all aspects of the hockey department. Kekäläinen is the second addition Adams has made to the front office this offseason. Earlier this month, he hired his former Hurricanes teammate Eric Staal as a special assistant to the general manager. Adams, who is returning for his sixth season on the job, has started to recognize the need for more experienced voices around him as he tries to end the team's 14-year playoff drought. 'As we navigated the process of hiring for this role, it very quickly became apparent that Jarmo was an ideal candidate to augment our front office,' Adams said in a statement. 'From his extensive history in scouting, his long tenure as an NHL general manager and his vast experience at the international and European pro levels, Jarmo has a remarkable resume and a long history of success in this league. I spoke with a number of candidates about this role and it's clear to me that Jarmo is a perfect fit for our team. I couldn't be more excited to add another significant piece to our front office as we continue the process of adding to our staff.' Advertisement Kekäläinen became the first European-born general manager in NHL history when the Blue Jackets hired him in 2013. During his 12 seasons on the job, the Blue Jackets made the playoffs five times. He was both the longest-serving and winningest general manager in Blue Jackets history. Prior to his time in Columbus, Kekäläinen was a general manager in the Finnish Liiga and also had an extensive NHL resume. He was a European scout for the Senators before spending three years as Ottawa's director of player personnel. He then spent three years as a director of amateur scouting for the St. Louis Blues before getting a promotion and serving as the Blues' assistant general manager for five seasons. 'Kevyn and I already had a strong working relationship from my time with the Blue Jackets and when we first started talking about this opportunity, it immediately felt like a natural fit,' Kekäläinen said in a statement. 'We are aligned in our philosophies and share the same core beliefs on how to build a winning team. I'm eager to help in any area I can and think I can offer a fresh perspective to supplement the staff already in place as we look to improve our roster this offseason.' Kekäläinen immediately becomes the most experienced person in Buffalo's front office. And while his track record in Columbus was imperfect, having another voice in the room will be valuable for Adams as he navigates a tricky offseason. JJ Peterka, Bowen Byram, Ryan McLeod, Jack Quinn, Devon Levi and Jacob Bernard-Docker are all restricted free agents. Alex Tuch is also eligible for a contract extension. The contract negotiations and trade discussions the team has this summer will impact what direction this rebuild takes. During Adams' five-year tenure as general manager, the Sabres' winning percentage is 25th in the NHL, and they haven't finished higher than 20th in the league standings. He's drawn consistent and vocal criticism from the fan base for his missteps during those five seasons. After hitting 91 points in 2022-23, the Sabres have regressed in each of their last two seasons. Adams and coach Lindy Ruff are both entering the final year of their respective contracts, so there is significant pressure to make this season the one in which the Sabres finally end their playoff drought. How big of a voice Kekäläinen will have in that process and whether he can help the Sabres achieve that goal remains to be seen. But few would argue against the idea that an experienced voice was needed in Buffalo's front office.
