Kekalainen talks Finland's strengths at 4 Nations Face-Off in Q&A with NHL.com

In NHL.com’s Q&A feature called “Sitting Down with …” we talk to key figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice. In this edition, we feature Jarmo Kekalainen, the former general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Jarmo Kekalainen can’t wait for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The longtime executive is an assistant GM for Finland, which opens against the United States at Bell Centre in Montreal on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS).

He has been part of Finland’s management team for multiple best-on-best tournaments, going back to the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, when Finland lost the final 3-2 to Canada in Toronto.

This time, Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States will play seven games over nine days, culminating with the championship game at TD Garden in Boston on Feb. 20.

“There’s always something special about it, because you’re with Team Finland,” he said. “You’re with your country. You’re with the national team. In 2004, we went all the way to the final and lost to Canada in a very tight game. That was a great, great event -- great tournament -- and that’s what I’m looking forward to as well.”

In an interview with NHL.com, Kekalainen shared his thoughts about the tournament, his former team in Columbus and his desire to return to the NHL.

What excites you most about the 4 Nations? What has your role been for Finland?

“Obviously, competing and seeing the best-on-best, which hasn’t been seen [since the World Cup of Hockey 2016 in Toronto]. That’s the exciting part.

“I think the process we had is probably a little bit different from what Canada, the U.S. and even Sweden had to go through. We don’t have as big of a pool of NHL players as those teams have. But I’m here full time in North America, so my role was to watch as many games in person of the Finns that we were considering for the team and obviously do all the background work with the analytics and watching the tape when I couldn’t be there in person.

“It’s been a fun process.”

Can Finland use its smaller size to its an advantage, because the players know each other well and can come together quickly?

“Everybody is committed. Everybody is 100 percent [invested] in what we’re trying to do. And that’s always been in the strength of the Finnish team, is that everybody checks their egos at the door before you get to the locker room. It doesn’t matter what kind of stars we have. We play as a team. We compete as a team. We commit to the team concept. That’s what makes hockey so great.”

What is the Finnish perspective on this tournament, considering it’s being staged in North America? Are people excited in Finland?

“Absolutely. The NHL is followed very closely in Finland. Even with the time difference, a lot of people watch all the afternoon games. Some people stay up late at night watching games, or tape them and watch them in the morning. They follow the NHL on social media and through the media in Finland. There are full-time people here covering the NHL, especially the Finns playing in the NHL.

“The NHL is the No. 1 league in the world. Finland is known for loving hockey. I would say it’s very close to Canada the way hockey is being loved in the country. It’s the No. 1 team sport in Finland, for sure, there’s no question about it, and I would say the No. 1 sport overall as far as popularity goes.

“So, this has created a lot of excitement in Finland. I think there’s a lot of Finns traveling to see the tournament. I’ve been contacted by many friends who are coming over to watch the tournament. I think there’s a big anticipation, big excitement, and everybody’s kind of waiting for it to get going.”

When Finland plays Sweden at Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday, it will be 1 p.m. ET but 8 p.m. in Helsinki -- prime time. How would you describe that rivalry?

“It’s probably similar to the U.S.-Canada rivalry. There’s going to be some NHL teammates going at it hard on the different sides of the border and in different uniforms this time. There’s a lot of respect on both sides, I’m sure, but at the same time, it’s a fierce rivalry and competition. Looking forward to it.”

You were the GM in Columbus when the Blue Jackets signed forward Johnny Gaudreau as an unrestricted free agent July 13, 2022. Johnny and his brother, Matthew, died Aug. 29 when they were struck by a suspected drunk driver while riding bicycles at home in Salem County, New Jersey. You still live in Columbus and attended their funeral in Media, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 9. What would you like to say about Johnny?

“It’s just devastating. I have a family. I have two daughters, and I just can’t imagine what his parents are going through, what their wives are going through, the kids and unborn kids. It’s so tragic. It’s one of those things that I’ll never forget the rest of my life, the phone call, when I got it late that night. I don’t know if I slept a wink that night. It was just so, so unbelievable -- unbelievably sad.

“I guess the biggest thing that I remember about Johnny was his passion for the game, how much he loved hockey and how he came to the rink every day and just was living the dream. And to have it cut this short is just so unfair.”

How important was Gaudreau’s signing for Columbus?

“It was hugely important. Somebody said this quote for me: ‘When you haven’t had a lot of dates and then the prettiest girl asks you for a date, it’s pretty exciting.’ And that’s how it kind of felt when his interest was real, and he wanted to come to Columbus and wanted to be part of what we were building. It meant a lot. I just wish he was still there.”

After working in the front office of the Ottawa Senators from 1995-2002 and the St. Louis Blues from 2002-10, you were the GM of Jokerit in Finland from 2010-13 and of the Blue Jackets from 2014-24. Many of your draft picks are helping Columbus compete for a playoff spot this season. What have you thought of that?

“Every time I’ve changed organizations, I’ve still followed the players that I worked with, that I was involved drafting, because it’s something that’s really gratifying to me to see them grow and get to their potential.

“And it’s the same thing now. I care about those guys. I wish them nothing but the best. I hope they grow and get to their dreams and the team grows at the same time, and I’m really happy for each and every one of them that have taken the extra step and made themselves better but also made the team better.

“So, I follow very closely all of those guys. You invest so much time in getting to know the players, and the scouts do most of the work, and they’ve done a great job obviously, led by [Blue Jackets director of amateur scouting] Ville Siren. He’s done a tremendous job with some of the draft picks that they have now playing and playing in significant roles, and I’m very, very proud of the work that we did and proud of the guys that have had that success now.”

You attended the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, working as a studio analyst and color commentator for Finnish television, keeping an eye on up-and-coming players. What else have you been doing to stay current?

“I’ve been watching the NHL every night. I’ve probably watched 80 percent of the games of the Blue Jackets live here and been around the League live to watch the Finns for the 4 Nations tournament, and I’m watching minimum one game every night on my big screen at home, and a lot of times two games, and then the weekends even more than that. I think I’m staying pretty current on my book of what’s happening around the League, and I’ve had a lot of time to think and study and trying to get myself better, and so I’m ready to go.”

How badly would you like to join another team in Europe or the NHL?

“I’ve had a couple of chances already to go to Europe to very appealing posts or roles, and I declined. So, I want to stay in the NHL. It’s the best league in the world. I worked all my life to get into the NHL and had some pretty good success in the NHL with three different teams and went through rebuilds with three different teams, with Ottawa, St. Louis and Columbus.

“I’m a team player. I can take a lesser role and be proud of it, as long as it gives me a challenge that appeals to me. I’ve been at it a long time. I have a master’s degree in business, but I did it to show that I’m willing to put in the work and pay my dues to get where I wanted to get, which was to be a [GM] in the NHL.

“So, hopefully, somebody will recognize some of the work I’ve done around the League, and I’ll get another chance that’s appealing and challenging, and I’m ready to get to work.”