For quite some time, the Buffalo Sabres have been in need of an experienced outside voice in the hockey department and they recently found just that in Jarmo Kekalainen. With pressure mounting on every level of the organization to move forward, the club added the 58-year-old as the team’s senior advisor. The time for this addition is now.
The Columbus Blue Jackets former general manager had spoken with other NHL clubs about open positions, but in the end, the Sabres offered Kekalainen what he had been looking for.
“The role is important for me,” said Kekalainen. “I didn’t want to be looked at as someone who’s retiring or doesn’t want to do work. I want to be 100 percent in, 24/7. Doing everything I can to help Kevyn (general manager Adams) and the Buffalo Sabres.”
Kekalainen brings considerable experience to his new duties in Buffalo. His ability to reinvent himself throughout his hockey career is notable. From player to agent, to team management, Kekalanen remained focused on an evolving career in the game.
“I had a cup of coffee in the NHL and some amount of games in the American League,” recalled Kekalainen. “It was always my dream to be in the NHL. When I wasn’t good enough to play more than 55 games, I moved into management and tried to get to the NHL from there.”
A significant push toward a return to the postseason is a must for the Sabres this fall. In his time in Columbus, Kekalanen was at the forefront of roster evaluation and team direction.
“I think I’m aggressive when it’s the time and place to be aggressive.”, Kekalainen explained. “But I’d say I’m pretty analytical. I have the poise to also look at the situation and take a step back and analyze it rather than reacting to something just because you feel like something’s gotta be done.”
“But if the situation and the opportunity are right, I can be aggressive. It all depends on where the team is in its development and growth. When the windows opens, you need to be aggressive.
Kekalainen had familiar situation in Columbus
Kekalainen is mindful of having the right mix to win. In 2019, the Blue Jackets were in a similar situation to the one the Sabres are now. Securing a playoff birth was vital in Columbus. Kekalanen chose to retain stars Artemi Panarin and Sergei Babrovsky on expiring contracts in a push to reach the postseason. Knowing both players would leave the Blue Jackets for free agency the following season.
That spring, the Jackets did reach the playoffs and upset the heavily favored Tampa Bay Lightning in round one.
“The window to win with a team is never open forever,” said Kekalanen. “It’s that certain period of time of your core player’s prime, and that’s when you need to be aggressive to be sure you surround them with the right mix to win.”
The right mix. The right players On a roster at the right time. Those elements have eluded Sabres teams for years. Kekalanen’s voice could be a key component in a critical season for the Buffalo Sabres
“It’s such a great team game is what intrigues me about hockey,” said Kekalainen. “You can have a bunch of great individuals, but if you don’t have a great team, you are never going to accomplish anything big. Anybody can see the skill. Anybody can see who can shoot the puck and skate. The hardest part of evaluating is the competitiveness, the drive, the desire. The willingness to win and do everything to win.”
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