NHL: Jarmo Kekäläinen opens up about his father’s death: “I would have commanded…”

NHL team The Buffalo Sabers named a new General Manager last week Jarmo Kekäläinen. A significant wash was published only a day after Kekäläinen’s father Kari Kekäläinen had died at the age of 82, exhausted by a long illness.

Jarmo Kekäläinen posted an emotional Instagram update on Monday just hours before his move to Buffalo was announced.

Kekäläinen, 59, returned to what happened in a video interview with Finnish media on Friday.

“It’s quite a rollercoaster of emotions. One that I’ve never experienced before in my life,” Kekäläinen described his mood.

“I was in Finland and I got to see my father and say goodbye and thank you. And then this happened [GM-pesti] this same while I was in Finland. There has been quite a bit of turmoil, but life goes on.”

“I’m sure that – knowing my father well – he would have quickly ordered me to continue working if he had still been able to communicate.”

Kari Kekäläinen played 40 matches in the hockey championship series in KalPa, Tappara and Hilpara. He played as a defender.

Also Jarmo’s brothers Tendon55, and Jari Kekäläinen53, have worked in hockey. Janne works as a talent scout for the Nashville Predators, and Jari was until last season the head of European scouting operations for the Winnipeg Jets.

Jarmo and Janne Kekäläinen are also former SM league players, Jari Kekäläinen’s playing career ended in the A-juniors.