Fired Blue Jackets GM Wants Another Shot in the NHL

The Columbus Blue Jackets are once again a NHL lottery bound team and a big reason for another disappointing year is the work of now fired GM Jarmo Kekalainen. From the hiring and firing of Mike Babcock, to botched trades and misses on top picks, it was a rough go for Kekalainen in Columbus. 

It's not stopping him from following his dream as the veteran executive wants another crack at leading a team. Kekalainen met with Jon Lane of NHL.com and reiterated his desire to get back into the league:

I'd be a lot better general manager the second time around. I'm also realizing that I'm not ready to retire, so I'm staying active. I've (scouted) some games to make sure that I stay current with the other prospects coming into the NHL, which is a lot of NHL hockey, college hockey, major junior, (AHL), so I'm definitely full of energy and ready for the next challenge as well. You try to put it aside. When things go bad for an extended period it might creep up a little bit, but you just try to concentrate on your job and do the best you can, and other people make the decisions on your tenure. I've heard a saying that in this business, it's not a matter of if (you'll get fired), it's a matter of when. It happened for the first time to me now, getting fired, so that's obviously not something that I wanted to experience. Now that I've gone through it, it's part of the business and I'm very appreciative of all the opportunities that I got here. The ownership is unbelievable and supportive and let you do your job. I've worked with John Davidson in two different organizations, with the Blues and then the Blue Jackets. He's a great man and I've enjoyed working with him.

Kekalainen, 57, is hopeful staying up to date on the game, it's prospects and the talent around the league won't go unnoticed. He started his career with the Ottawa Senators, moved on to the St Louis Blues and then of course, spent 11 years in Columbus. We'll see what the summer brings as far as firing and hirings go as Kekalainen appears open to just about any type of executive role in the NHL.

Photo credit:  The Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK