Sabres Announce Kevyn Adams has been relieved of his duties; Jarmo Kekäläinen is the New Sabres GM

[LGR4GM]

I'm sure it's buried in this thread but Kekäläinen is the most experienced GM ever hired under Pegula by decades of experience. 

[quill]

52 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

Bet he was fired for hiring Torts.  If all you say is true, why is he not still in Columbus?

Jarmo wasn't fired for hiring Torts. Columbus had 4 playoff runs after that. If he was fired for hiring anyone, it was for his involvement in the hiring of Mike Babcock, which turned out to be a huge mistake & embarrassment for the team, considering what had been going on with Babcock and the photo sharing debacle that Babcock was involved in.

[LGR4GM]

Kekäläinen has a Bachelor's from Clarkson and a Master's in Econ from Tampere Univ.

He's served in hockey front office since 1995 and in NHL front office almost nonstop since 1999. Looks like the only break is when he was GM of Jokerit in the Liiga (2010-2012) before becoming GM of Columbus in 2012.

Edited 5 hours ago by LGR4GM

[SABRES 0311]

So what’s the first big move JK makes?

Does he devolve into looping TP into major hockey ops decision-making?

[erickompositör72]

1 minute ago, SABRES 0311 said:

So what’s the first big move JK makes?

Does he devolve into looping TP into major hockey ops decision-making?

I know someone who knew him personally, and he is truly a "no-BS" type. The hope is that TP is realizing there are people who know more than TP.

[DarthEbriate]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Kekäläinen has a Bachelor's from Clarkson and a Master's in Econ from Tampere Univ.

He's served in hockey front office since 1995 and in NHL front office almost nonstop since 1999. Looks like the only break is when he was GM of Jokerit in the Liiga (2010-2012) before becoming GM of Columbus in 2012.

Per Wikipedia, he went to Jokerit when he didn't get the St. Louis Blues GM gig, but did some Liiga time and turned it and his STL team-building of the 00s into the Columbus job.

He helped put together the Sens from 1999 up until 2002, meaning his influences included the core that became those very good 2006-2010 teams.

He did help assemble the rosters that would become some decent Ken Hitchcock-led STL seasons. Most of the players he would've been associated with had moved on by the time the Blues won their Cup.

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Adams was hired for a job he was not qualified for and he failed to grow into the role, despite being given an overly long leash with which to do so.

I’ll remember his failure as being based largely on 3 fronts:

1. Gross negligence in the crease: he entered just one of his six seasons with a ‘settled’ situation in  goal. Even that blew up in his face when UPL’s game imploded after getting his big contract.

2. An aversion to experience both on the ice and off it: his preferred path was giving people their first opportunities at whatever role he was tapping them for and trusting them to figure it out eventually.

3. A preference for people he liked over people who got the job done: there is a long list of Marty Wilfords, Jacob Brysons and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonens littering his tenure. His desired outcome always seemed to be “we’ve had honest conversations and he’s happy to be here” over all else.

Jarmo will bring a better depth of knowledge, accompanied by what I expect will be a more decisive, cutthroat approach — befitting of what is a decisive, cutthroat, results-based business. He's qualified, he's had a look inside the hood already, and the cupboard is not bare.

I think this was always the most likely outcome from the decisions made last spring. My greatest fear was it would be accompanied by an utter meltdown where we would lose Tage, Tuch and Ras in the process, and the clock would have to be reset yet again.

But that hasn't happened yet, and it does not need to be the case.

Onward, and (hopefully) upward.

 

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Welcome back!!!!

Seconded!

[quill]

7 hours ago, Bangarang said:

So Jarmo is not interim and is the guy going forward. 

His next big task is finding a new HC after the season. It can't be Appert. 

Don't worry. It won't be Appert after the season. If Pegula ever had the slightest notion of replacing Ruff with Appert, it would have been done today by naming Appert as the interim coach for the rest of the season. Appert's best chance of ever becoming coach here is if the team all of a sudden goes on a tear with some significant playoff runs and Lindy retires on a high note. 

[Thorny]

18 minutes ago, erickompositör72 said:

I know someone who knew him personally, and he is truly a "no-BS" type. The hope is that TP is realizing there are people who know more than TP.

Oh ok so we are back around to the Murray template 

[Scottysabres]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Adams was hired for a job he was not qualified for and he failed to grow into the role, despite being given an overly long leash with which to do so.

I’ll remember his failure as being based largely on 3 fronts:

1. Gross negligence in the crease: he entered just one of his six seasons with a ‘settled’ situation in  goal. Even that blew up in his face when UPL’s game imploded after getting his big contract.

2. An aversion to experience both on the ice and off it: his preferred path was giving people their first opportunities at whatever role he was tapping them for and trusting them to figure it out eventually.

3. A preference for people he liked over people who got the job done: there is a long list of Marty Wilfords, Jacob Brysons and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonens littering his tenure. His desired outcome always seemed to be “we’ve had honest conversations and he’s happy to be here” over all else.

Jarmo will bring a better depth of knowledge, accompanied by what I expect will be a more decisive, cutthroat approach — befitting of what is a decisive, cutthroat, results-based business. He's qualified, he's had a look inside the hood already, and the cupboard is not bare.

I think this was always the most likely outcome from the decisions made last spring. My greatest fear was it would be accompanied by an utter meltdown where we would lose Tage, Tuch and Ras in the process, and the clock would have to be reset yet again.

But that hasn't happened yet, and it does not need to be the case.

Onward, and (hopefully) upward.

I’m with ya.

I think Jarmo is the guy that can at least get us in playoff contention, and I believe it can be this season. The point spread in the division is very narrow, Buffalo can still get in, they need some changes, goaltending solidified down to 2 and a couple of additions. 

[mphs mike]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

He never played for them.

 

Neither did Jarmo.

Neither did Punch. I’d take his reincarnation in a heartbeat

[LGR4GM]

9 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Oh ok so we are back around to the Murray template 

Seems overly simplistic to label it like that. Kekäläinen has more front office experience than Murray times 7.

[LGR4GM]

12 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

I’m with ya.

I think Jarmo is the guy that can at least get us in playoff contention, and I believe it can be this season. The point spread in the division is very narrow, Buffalo can still get in, they need some changes, goaltending solidified down to 2 and a couple of additions. 

[HumanSlinky39]

1 hour ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

Bet he was fired for hiring Torts.  If all you say is true, why is he not still in Columbus?

He wasn't fired for hiring Torts. He was fired because as often happens with bad franchises, a lot of their best players left eventually and he made some bad decisions trying to replace them. The Merzlikens contract is still a doozy. I said his tenure wasn't perfect. But he took over a moribund franchise and made them pretty damn good for a few years, probably a lot of that was a result of his hiring Torts (no I don't want Torts now). His tenure got untracked as they often do. All of that is significantly more than Adams has done.

But, if he can make a good coaching hire and tweak this roster into one that makes them into a really good team and regular playoff participant for a few years, sign me up.

Edited 5 hours ago by HumanSlinky39

[dudacek]

To whichever one of you posted this originally, thank you.

This kind of mindset from a leader is what our kind of problem needs.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1244012/2019/10/01/the-journey-to-understand-jarmo-kekalainen-begins-in-finland-columbus-blue-jackets/ 

 

Given the talk around where Adams came from and how he got here ^^^ should be mandatory reading.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by dudacek

[Dr. Who]

5 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Seems overly simplistic to label it like that. Kekäläinen has more front office experience than Murray times 7.

Also not autistic.

[PerreaultForever]

14 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Oh ok so we are back around to the Murray template 

I don't know what will happen but as a fan I need optimism and some sort of reason to have hope. As such you have to view this as a new era. End of the year and Xmas and his father's funeral etc. so ;et's just say 2026 is the beginning of the next era. Will they try to win now? Will they tear down for a new rebuild? Could be anything let's hope it's something, but whatever it is imo it has to involve these things eventually:

1. the team needs an identity. I can never figure out what they are trying to be can you? 

2. the team needs structure and a proper defensive system. Too many changing ideas, too many mistakes, too many blown coverages etc etc etc. They need discipline and structure and then within that play to their identity.

3. the bar must be raised and the team has to get serious. No country club bs. No development years. The mantra has to be just "win" and all the expectations have to be raised. Losing needs to be unacceptable. 

get it done and anybody who doesn't buy in needs to be gone.

[Thorny]

28 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Seems overly simplistic to label it like that. Kekäläinen has more front office experience than Murray times 7.

Jokes tend to be that way 

[erickompositör72]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

Oh ok so we are back around to the Murray template 

Well, let's hold on a second! There is a broad spectrum of "no-BS" types of people, and I would tend to say that the Scandinavian "no BS"-type is pretty much on the opposite side of that spectrum, when compared to the North American "no BS"-type (for whatever that's worth).

[...]

57 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Oh ok so we are back around to the Murray template 

[clink]

2 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well you can't really judge his competence from that either. You can only do that when he actually makes some moves. So in any event it was some sort of test or evaluation. For all we know he told him secretly that he would be GM and his last 8 months was already evaluating for his moves to come. 

I'm really just thinking this might explain all of Adams inaction this year. Pegula might have nixed any bigger moves. Now they can either sign or move Tuch. Resolve the goalies and do whatever else they think they need to do. 

I do agree he's a fresh entity with no ties to anyone here and that's good. Everybody can potentially go. 

First firing should be Staal. Get rid of all those Carolina bums. Just because. 

The only 'Canes stank I'd want on this team (aside from players) would be Rod the Bod!!!

[clink]

2 hours ago, Jorcus said:

You might call it Pagulatory.

PERFECT name for this era 

May it forever be known, from here on, as such.... 

1 hour ago, erickompositör72 said:

I know someone who knew him personally, and he is truly a "no-BS" type. The hope is that TP is realizing there are people who know more than TP.

From your lips to Terry's ear!!!!! 🙏 

[clink]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

To whichever one of you posted this originally, thank you.

This kind of mindset from a leader is what our kind of problem needs.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1244012/2019/10/01/the-journey-to-understand-jarmo-kekalainen-begins-in-finland-columbus-blue-jackets/ 

 

Given the talk around where Adams came from and how he got here ^^^ should be mandatory reading.

 

Paywall prevents your suggestion 

1 hour ago, erickompositör72 said:

I know someone who knew him personally, and he is truly a "no-BS" type. The hope is that TP is realizing there are people who know more than TP.

From your lips to Terry's ear!!!!! 🙏 

30 minutes ago, erickompositör72 said:

Well, let's hold on a second! There is a broad spectrum of "no-BS" types of people, and I would tend to say that the Scandinavian "no BS"-type is pretty much on the opposite side of that spectrum, when compared to the North American "no BS"-type (for whatever that's worth).

Well, as one of our Scandi ambassadors, I think it is a fair request of you to elaborate, please 

[Alaska John]

9 hours ago, Eleven said:

Another Festivus Miracle!

Festivus is the 23rd.  

[erickompositör72]

21 minutes ago, clink said:

Well, as one of our Scandi ambassadors, I think it is a fair request of you to elaborate, please 

Oops, I actually just changed my username to Swedish in 2018 because many of us were doing that on the forum, hoping for good luck in the Dahlin draft lottery (it worked! 😛 so I didn't change it back). I'm a NY'er (Buffalo born, NYC based for quite a while).

However, having come across a fair number of Scandinavians (Fins, even) in my business, I would say that you can see these two things illustrated by looking at the contrasting example @Thorny provided: Tim Murry, a boisterous North American version of "no BS." Jarmo's "no BS" style keeps the cards closer to the vest, while still being very intentional and decisive.

Edited 3 hours ago by erickompositör72

[Doohickie]

2 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

2. the team needs structure and a proper defensive system. Too many changing ideas, too many mistakes, too many blown coverages etc etc etc. They need discipline and structure and then within that play to their identity.

This alone will get them to the playoffs.

1 hour ago, Alaska John said:

Festivus is the 23rd.  

Right.  And we're in the Eight Days of Festivus!