BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres on Friday hired former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen to serve as a senior adviser, adding a wealth of experience to general manager Kevyn Adams’ front-office staff.

Kekalainen will report to Adams in a newly created role in which he’ll be involved in all areas of the hockey department, the team announced. The 58-year-old from Finland has been out of the NHL since being fired by the Blue Jackets in February 2024 following an 11-year term as GM — the league’s first European-born person to hold the title.

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