The Columbus Blue Jackets made a decision most saw coming on Thursday. Columbus fired general manager Jarmo Kekalainen after a disastrous 2023-24 NHL season. The Finnish executive spent 11 seasons at the helm, producing one playoff series win. Now, the former Blue Jackets general manager has addressed his dismissal from the team.
Kekalainen released a statement via social media on Friday. In this statement, the 57-year-old revealed the biggest regret he has over his tenure. “I wish we could've brought you the Stanley Cup that you deserve,” the former Columbus executive said on social media.
Kekalainen was hired back in 2013 after the team fired Scott Howson a day earlier. The Blue Jackets never finished above third place in their division during his tenure, though. His firing seemed an inevitability after the failed appointment of Mike Babcock as head coach over the summer. However, the team's poor season expedited the process.
Jarmo Kekalainen further addresses Blue Jackets firing
Kekalainen continued in his statement, thanking the fans for their support over the years. Furthermore, he thanked the Columbus organization for the opportunity. “The past 11 years have been the best of my life thanks to each of you,” the former Blue Jackets general manager wrote in his statement.
The 57-year-old did acknowledge not being able to win a Stanley Cup in Columbus. However, he isn't writing off the possibility of it happening. In fact, he is “confident” it can happen at some point, as he wrote in his statement on Friday. All in all, though, the experience has left a lasting mark that he will never forget.
“Columbus is a very special place and will always remain in the hearts of my family and I. The friendships and memories we've made here will continue, as will our support for the Blue Jackets,” Kekalainen said in his statement on Friday afternoon.