I was going through Urheilulehti's Blue Jackets reports starting from 2012:
A long article from the time announced he was leaving Jokerit for Columbus. Could be interesting to go through with Google Translate. Here a some picks:
http://www.urheilulehti.fi/jaakiekko/muistatko-mita-kirjoitit-jokeri-areenan-seinaan-jarmo-kekalainen
Do you remember what you wrote on the wall of Jokerit Areena, Jarmo Kekäläinen?
"It would be a journalistic shortcut to highlight Ilari Filppula's, Riku Hahl's or for example Steve Moses's acquisation.
There is nothing newsworthy that Kekäläinen built with Hjallis Harkimo's financial mandate the strongest and most balanced ice hockey team to Ilmala. This is about other things besides ice hockey.
I remember Kekäläinen's first press conference still. He underlined collective accountability. Half of the ice hockey reporters were laughing into their sleeves that now someone has learned fancy words in the Americas.
Kekäläinen didn't step into the ivory tower to tell that from now on we work this way. That now there is only one sheriff in this town and its me.
As his first act Kekäläinen went into the core of Jokerit's junior hockey. He went there to show in concrete examples how the standard of daily work will be put on a level that could yield worldwide success (NHL draft picks etc.) five or ten years later. Kekäläinen put stress on that there is no hurry. That now they aren't running against time but quality factors. Matti Virmanen (former CEO) and Hjallis Harkimo guided Jokeri ship only focused to that championship must be win now, no matter was it summer, autumn, winter or spring. "Everything here now! Where is Machulda!?"
The ten standards Kekäläinen brought:
2) Gather talents to Jokerit youth team to play, train and grow
3) Offer them the best and most ambitious coaching in Finland
5) Keep the rim raised for daily work at the top level of the world - don't just be content with Finland's level
6) Carry the responsibility, of what happens between junior teams and first team, yourself.
7) Work likewise with coaching. Let young coaches grow into what is it being a Jokeri and the standards.
9) Teach the whole organization into honesty, responsibility and openness - in both weak and strong moments.
Kekäläinen didn't preach these things from the podium when arriving at Jokerit but rolled up his sleeves and got to work. Kekäläinen wasn't a GM for Jokerit. He was a teacher. He noted that the work has to begin with basics, a piece at a time and day-by-day. He heavily invested into the junior work.
For example if Teuvo Teräväinen wasn't playing well in the A juniors couple years ago, Kekäläinen wanted to know through Tomek Valtonen's raport, whether Teräväinen had an exam week in school or what was the problem. And in two-way-accountability you don't just note things but offer instant fixes. During last season Kekäläinen called every night to A-juniors head coach Tomek Valtonen.
...
B) Hiring Kekäläinen proves that in the NHL they also appreciate the groundwork. They just don't watch from the local text tv if Kekäläinen has won the SM-liiga with Jokerit or not. NHL headhunters have done their background checks on Jokerit junior work. Championships will come. That is for sure.
What did Kekäläinen wrote on the Arena wall? Dreams, goals and work."
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