Jarmo Kekäläinen, former General Manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013 to 2024, was inducted into The Finnish Hockey Hall Of Fame on Saturday.

Jarmo Kekäläinen, former General Manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2013 to 2024, was inducted into The Finnish Hockey Hall Of Fame on Saturday. He was inducted as an Influencer. He's the 279th member of the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame. Markku Tuominen, Jari Levonen, Pekka Rinne, Lasse Kukkonen, and Jussi Jokinen were also inducted. 

Kekäläinen was hired by Columbus on February 13, 2013, to replace Scott Howson. On February 15, 2024, he was let go by the Blue Jackets in an attempt to refresh the franchise. Under Kekäläinen, the Jackets made the playoffs five times, including a four-year streak that included the first-round sweep of Tampa in 2019, and a play-in-round victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Kekäläinen stayed on with the franchise after being fired as GM and did some scouting work. As recently as the last few home games, he's been spotted sitting in the press box wearing a dark hat and glasses. 

Jarmo Kekäläinen is currently acting as an advisor for IFK Helsinki of Liiga. HIFK currently sits atop the Liiga standings with 44 points. 

What's Next - The Blue Jackets have a few days off as they trek to Southern California to take on the LA Kings on Saturday.

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