Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres have created a new position in the front office to be involved with general manager Kevyn Adams in all aspects of the hockey department.
The team announced on Friday that former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen will serve as a senior advisor to Adams in Buffalo.
Kekalainen served as the Blue Jackets' general manager from 2013 until 2024. Under his tutelage, Kekalainen helped build a Columbus team that went 410-362-97 in 869 regular-season games.
The Blue Jackets were able to qualify for the playoffs five times with Kekalainen as general manager, including a four-game first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs after they set multiple team records for their regular-season play.
Kekalainen also served previously as the director of player personnel for the Ottawa Senators (1999-2002) and assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting for the St. Louis Blues (2002-10).
After leaving the Blues, he went back to Finland to be the general manager of Jokerit in the Finnish pro league.
This is a position the Sabres have been looking to fill since the season ended in April.
"As we navigated the process of hiring for this role, it very quickly became apparent that Jarmo was an ideal candidate to augment our front office," said Adams on Friday in a team statement. "From his extensive history in scouting, his long tenure as an NHL general manager and his vast experience at the international and European pro levels, Jarmo has a remarkable resume and a long history of success in this league. I spoke with a number of candidates about this role and it’s clear to me that Jarmo is a perfect fit for our team. I couldn’t be more excited to add another significant piece to our front office as we continue the process of adding to our staff."
In his own statement on Friday, Kekalainen says this job was attractive to him because he and Adams are aligned in their philosophies.
"Kevyn and I already had a strong working relationship from my time with the Blue Jackets, and when we first started talking about this opportunity, it immediately felt like a natural fit," he said. "We are aligned in our philosophies and share the same core beliefs on how to build a winning team. I’m eager to help in any area I can and think I can offer a fresh perspective to supplement the staff already in place as we look to improve our roster this offseason."
Kekalainen played 55 NHL games with the Boston Bruins and Senators. He also spent two seasons playing at Clarkson University.