‘Kekalainen, who is from Finland, became the first European-born general manager in NHL history when he was hired by the Blue Jackets in 2013 and led the team to its four highest point totals in franchise history and five of its six playoff appearances during an 11-year run. Included was a stunning 2019 first-round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had rolled through the regular season with 62 wins and 128 points. He has been out of the league since he was fired in February, 2024.’