Jarmo Kekalainen has been relieved of his duties as General Manager

The Columbus Blue Jackets have relieved Jarmo Kekalainen of his duties as general manager of the NHL club, president of hockey operations and alternate governor John Davidson announced today. Davidson, along with the team's hockey operations management team, will assume general manager duties while the club goes through the process of hiring a replacement.

Media available with Davidson will be streamed live on the Blue Jackets' YouTube page at 11:30 a.m. ET today and will be recorded and posted afterward on BlueJackets.com.

“This was one of the hardest days of my career,” Davidson said. “Jarmo is a friend and I have a lot of respect for him and he did a lot of good things during his time here.” He added: “Although 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.”

Kekalainen, 57, was named the third general manager in Blue Jackets history on February 13, 2013. The club posted a record of 410-362-97 in 869 games during his tenure, the longest in franchise history. Columbus has qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs five times (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) and has recorded its four winning seasons based on points percentage during that span: 2016-2017 (50-24-8, 108 points, .659), 2018 -19 (47-31-4, 98 pts, .598), 2017-18 (7-45-30, 97 pts, .591) and 2019-20 (15-22-33, 81 pts, .579).

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

The Blue Jackets return to action on Saturday when they visit the San Jose Sharks. Game time from 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 Blue Jackets Live pregame show beginning 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.