COLUMBUS — Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson put aside personal feelings and fired Jarmo Kekalainen as general manager Thursday.
The Blue Jackets (16-26-10) are last in the Eastern Conference and 18 points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
“Unfortunately, as a team, our results haven’t been good enough,” Davidson said. “We all, starting with myself as head of hockey operations, share responsibility for that. It became apparent a new voice was needed to lead us forward as we turn the page. This decision was difficult because of the quality of person that Jarmo is. He’s a dedicated, loyal, hard-working guy who did a lot of great things, both on and off the ice, in our community over the past decade.
“The pluses outweigh the negatives as to where we are as a team on the ice. We’re going to need someone who will open our eyes, make us think further and to help us keep going in the right direction to where we’re going to be a club that is a threat.”
Kekalainen was named the third GM in Blue Jackets history Feb. 13, 2013.
“It’s about results. It’s a business, but there’s also human beings involved,” Davidson said. “So, I knew when we brought Jarmo in that someday this might happen. It happened. It’s not a lot of fun, but that’s hockey. It’s pro sports and we go on. Now is the time to turn that page and go forward with all the decisions that we have to make that are ahead of us. We’ve also done some very good things this season.”
The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on March 8 played a factor in the decision, Davidson said. Columbus has not made the postseason since four consecutive appearances from 2016-20.
“We’re all in there and we take responsibility, too, for where we are as a team,” Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner said. “Obviously, I just want to thank [Jarmo] for the relationship and the work over the last 11 years since I’ve been here with him; been through ups and downs with him.”
The Blue Jackets were 410-362-97 in 869 regular-season games since Kekalainen was hired. They qualified for the playoffs five times, including a four-game sweep of the 62-win Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019 Eastern Conference First Round to advance in the postseason for the first time since joining the NHL in 2000-01. They lost the 2020 first round in five games to the Lightning and subsequently haven’t finished higher than sixth in the Metropolitan Division.
“If you’re a winning team consistently, a playoff team consistently, things like this don’t happen,” Columbus defenseman Zach Werenski said. “We’re obviously not where we want to be.”
John Tortorella left as Blue Jackets coach May 9, 2021, after six seasons. Brad Larsen, promoted after he was an assistant under Tortorella and previous coach Todd Richards for seven seasons, was fired April 15, 2023, after Columbus went 25-48-9 to finish 31st in the NHL ahead of only the Anaheim Ducks.
Mike Babcock replaced Larsen on July 1 but resigned Sept. 17, five days after the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast reported that he asked players to share personal photos on their private mobile devices, which was investigated by the NHL Players’ Association before Babcock announced his resignation. Associate coach Pascal Vincent was named his replacement and signed a two-year contract through the 2024-25 season.
Blue Jackets ownership said in a statement at the time they were “deeply frustrated and disappointed” by the events surrounding the Babcock situation but following “candid conversations” did not anticipate changes to the hockey leadership team.
Davidson, with Blue Jackets president Michael Priest standing a few feet away inside Nationwide Arena on Thursday, said he still has the support of ownership. The search for a new GM begins immediately outside of the organization without a timetable.
“I think we’ll get a lot of calls. I really do,” Davidson said. “In fact, I’ve already had a couple. It’s a good situation here with ownership, the city itself, with the amount of talent that we have already assembled. It’s not like starting from the bottom.
“I’m looking for a person that’s going to look outside of the box, will look everywhere, and that’s what we have to do and that’s why we’re in no rush to do this. But we’re going to look for energy. We’re going to look for smarts, we’re going to look for a player evaluator, a person that understands analytics, everything from A to Z.”
Before joining the Blue Jackets, Kekalainen was GM of Jokerit of Liiiga in his native Finland. He was also the assistant GM and director of amateur scouting in 2002 for the St. Louis Blues, where he was part of the front office that drafted defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and David Perron, core players who helped the Blues win their first Stanley Cup championship in 2019.
Notable moves during Kekalainen’s tenure were the trades for defenseman Seth Jones with the Nashville Predators on Jan. 6, 2016, forward Artemi Panarin with the Chicago Blackhawks on June 23, 2017, and forward Patrik Laine with the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 23, 2021.
Panarin and No. 1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky each left Columbus on July 1, 2019, as an unrestricted free agent.
Jones, who at the time was a pending unrestricted free agent, was traded to the Blackhawks on July 23, 2021, with a first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft for forward Adam Boqvist, a first- and second-round pick in 2021 and a first-round pick in 2022 or the 2023 NHL Draft.
Perhaps Kekalainen’s biggest move as GM was signing unrestricted free agent forward Johnny Gaudreau from the Calgary Flames with a seven-year, $68.25 million contract ($9.75 average annual value) July 13, 2022.
Notable Blue Jackets draft picks during Kekalainen’s tenure are Pierre-Luc Dubois (No. 3, 2016), forward Adam Fantilli (No. 3, 2023), and defensemen David Jiricek (No. 6, 2022) and Werenski (No. 8, 2015).
The Blue Jackets visit the San Jose Sharks on Saturday (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, BSOH). They’re 3-7-1 in their past 11 games.
“It’s unfortunate,” Vincent said. “It happens but we chose that business. Our job, just like what we tell the players, is to move forward, learn, move forward. All I can do today is take care of today with the team. And that’s how we move forward.”
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
