Jarmo Kekäläinen is looking for a new head coach for Columbus. Jussi Eskola
Columbus GM Jarmo Kekäläinen has told his background team that he would like to put the names on paper with the new coach before he leaves for the World Hockey Championships on 21.5.
So there may be a big week ahead, but Kekäläinen doesn’t want to rush.
– Due to several different things, everything doesn’t always go according to the schedule I would like. We’d rather make the right decision than a quick decision, Kekäläinen added The Athletic in an interview with the magazine.
Article author Aaron Portzline reveals that having been fired from Rangers Gerard Gallant not currently included in Kekäläinen’s options.
– By Saturday afternoon, the Blue Jackets had not asked the New York Rangers for permission to interview Gerard Gallant, Portzline writes.
The Blue Jackets should have asked the Rangers for permission to discuss, because the man still has a 3.5 million dollar deal covering next season with the New York club.
– You’d think the Blue Jackets would have called by now if they were interested in Gallant, who was a candidate two years ago when Brad Larsen got a place.
Under Larsen’s leadership, Columbus was the second worst team in the entire NHL this season. However, Kekäläinen recently defended his coach on the Rothman & Ice podcast.
– Brad Larsen is a good coach. He was not successful this year, but after the first year, most people would have said that the year was quite good from our group, Kekäläinen estimates.
In Larsen’s opening season, the Blues were 21st in the league. The playoff spot was 19 points away.
A short list
Kekäläinen told the Rothman & Ice podcast that the list of head coach candidates is not very long.
– I think we have some excellent options. We will interview people who are qualified candidates. We are not going to interview 100 men. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time, Kekäläinen said.
The Finn’s words in the interview gave the impression that the new head coach will probably come from outside the club.
– New methods have value, and I think we need them, but the choice can also come from within the club, Kekäläinen stated.
Larsen was chosen as the head coach from within the club, as he previously served by John Tortorella as an assistant coach. However, the man did not succeed in washing.
In Kekäläinen’s opinion, however, it is not an obstacle to the club not being able to choose a new chief commander from within the organization.
– It wouldn’t be fair to say to the candidate that “It didn’t work last time, so we won’t do it again.” It would be two different people, two different coaches.
From within the Columbus organization, at least Larsen’s assistant coach Pascal Vincent the name has been included in the head coach rumours.
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Gerard Gallant was fired at the helm of the Rangers after the team fell in the opening round of the playoffs to the New Jersey Devils. AOP / USA TODAY Sports