Kekäläinen then played for the Clarkson Golden Knights for three years, establishing himself and gaining interest from professional teams.

In his second year with the Knights, he scored 44 points in 31 games and was named to the ECAC Hockey League first all star team.

While with the Senators he helped in selecting future NHL stars Marian Hossa, Martin Havlat, and Ray Emery.

While with Jokerit, Kekäläinen had an unwritten escape clause with ownership that permitted him to leave if he was offered a general manager job in the NHL.

On April 28, 2021 Kekäläinen was named assistant general manager of Finland's national team for the 2022 Olympic Games.