Blue Jackets rehire John Davidson as president of hockey operations after being fired by Rangers

The offseason of change for the Blue Jackets is off and running.

A day after The Columbus Dispatch learned that John Davidson would be re-hired as the team's president of hockey operations, the Blue Jackets formally announced that move plus a two-year contract extension for Jarmo Kekalainen — the team's general manager and an alternate governor.

Davidson returns to Columbus with a five-year contract and Kekalainen is now signed through the 2024-25 season.

“John Davidson and Jarmo Kekalainen worked tirelessly and effectively together to transform our hockey club from a team with one Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance in 12 seasons to one that reached the postseason five times in seven years from 2013-20,” Blue Jackets president and alternate governor Mike Priest said in a release issued Thursday.  “This is an important time for our organization and having stability and proven leadership at the top of our hockey operations department is critical for us to do what we want to do, which is bring a Stanley Cup championship to Columbus."

Davidson and Kekalainen will meet with reporters at 2 p.m. Thursday via video conference.

Davidson, 68, left Columbus on May 17, 2019, to take the same position with the New York Rangers, whom he played eight of his 10 NHL seasons for as a goalie and worked two decades for as a Hall of Fame television analyst.

The Rangers made a stunning decision May 7 to part ways with both Davidson and former general manager Jeff Gorton. New York failed to make the playoffs in either of Davidson's two seasons, but the Rangers were in the hunt this year with a talented roster that was likely too green for contention.

Davidson had three years left on his contract with the Rangers. Kekalainen has two years left on his current deal.

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