Ex Manager Jarmo Makes A Derogatory Statement Against Columbus Blue Jacket Claiming…
Last week, the Columbus Blue Jackets fired their former General Manager, Jarmo Kekalainen, due to a downturn in performance over the past few seasons.
The President of the Blue Jackets, John Davidson, is currently the interim General Manager until a new GM is found.
Davidson has been interviewed several times since the firing to answer many questions about the event.
Recently, he was interviewed on The Bob McCown Podcast and talked a lot about Kekalainen, where the Jackets are this season, where they’re going, and the recent search for a new GM.
Jarmo Kekalainen had been the General Manager of the Blue Jackets for 11 years. There were some successful seasons under his lead, but the past three seasons and the 2024 season have not gone according to plan.
Having no playoff appearances since 2020, a few bad seasons in a row, and the Mike Babcock issue at the beginning of the season, John Davidson and company would decide that now is the right time to let Kekalainen go.
There were no hard feelings from Davidson, and he had nothing but nice things to say about Jarmo.
The] 11 years Jarmo had as a General Manager in Columbus is a pretty good run. He told me when we talked about the change that it was 11 of the best years of his life. He’s a very strong man.
I know it hurt him to have it happen, but at the same time, he understands the business. He was very thankful for the opportunity. We’re still good friends. We’ve been talking to each other since it happened, and we’ll remain friends for sure. He’s a really good person.” – John Davidson