REPORT: Jаrmo Kekäläіnen Intervіewed for Cаrolіnа Hurrісаnes GM Posіtіon

   
Elliotte Friedman reported two potential names for the position on his 32 Thoughts podcast.
 
REPORT: Jarmo Kekäläinen Interviewed for Carolina Hurricanes GM Position - Carolina  Hurricanes News, Analysis and More

It was reported by Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast that former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen has interviewed for the Carolina Hurricanes' general manager opening.

"We could potentially have a GM trade here because I've heard that Jarmo Kekäläinen is a contender in Carolina," Friedman said. 

The Finnish native has extensive front office experience, most recently being the GM in Columbus for 11 seasons. 

He started out as a general manager in Finland in the '90s  and went on to have multiple scouting and player personnel jobs in both Ottawa and St. Louis.

Kekäläinen eventually returned to Finland where he managed Helsinki Jokerit for a few years until 2013 when he took the job with the Blue Jackets.

The biggest positive for Kekäläinen has always been his eye for talent. He's done a tremendous job in drafting talent throughout his career, but his contract work and ultimate decision making with the on-ice product left much to be desired.

However, that might not be as much of a problem if he were to get the job in Carolina though.

Friedman also reported a bit on what the role will entail and as you might expect, it isn't like a typical NHL GM role.

"The Hurricanes are making sure that everyone's eyes are wide open about how this is all going to work," Friedman said. "And that is that whoever gets this job is going to be the manager, but they're not going to have the power. This job is going to be as a facilitator. Somebody who collects information and brings it to the other members of the front office, including Tom Dundon who obviously has a huge say, but also Eric Tulsky, Darren Yorke, Aaron Schwartz and whoever else is going to be part of that front office. The new GM hire is not going to have the final say."

So pretty much, the general manager will be operating in the same capacity that Don Waddell was with Carolina.

The Hurricanes run as a collaborative front office with everyone getting a chance to have a say. The "brain trust" allows different opinions to be voiced and heard and doesn't allow one single person to dominate the decision making.

According to Friedman, some candidates have backed away from the job because of this, but that's just how it's been in Carolina for years now.

"I think there are people who are okay with that, but I think there are some who aren't and I've heard that Kekäläinen is in the conversation here," Friedman said.

Kekäläinen would be able to bring in his extensive front office experience and connections while also helping to evaluate talent to continue to keep the organization pipeline strong.

Another name that Friedman threw out there was Eric Joyce, another longtime executive and also apparently the person who is conducting the interviews for the position.

"I had one person who wondered to me if Eric Joyce, who was doing the interviews there, he might keep the job," Friedman said.

Joyce served as assistant general manager with the Florida Panthers from 2013-2020. 

From 2020-2023, he worked as the Director of Hockey Operations and Director of Pro Scouting for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Per his LinkedIn page, Joyce is also a former Army officer and as a senior executive "led over 200 employees with an annual budget of over $140M, negotiated over $300M in contracts and created the strategic vision and operational policies and procedures that helped run a $2.2B franchise."