SAGINAW, Mich. -- The Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit has let go of its general manager.

Spirit officials told TV5 that General Manager Don Edwards was fired late Monday night, after just over a year on the job.

Saginaw Spirit President and managing partner Craig Goslin cites several reasons for the move, including a lack of communication.

“All good organizations and small companies need cutting edge communication with each other in order to expect to compete at their maximum performance level,” said Goslin. “That was not happening here in Saginaw and the time had come for ownership to make this decision."

This is the fourth time in the seven-year history of the Spirit that it has fired its GM.

Head Coach Todd Watson will take over a newly created role -- head of the Spirit’s hockey operations.

The team’s move to eliminating the general manager position and creating a system designed around a director of hockey operations is nothing new to the Ontario Hockey League.

Four other OHL teams, the Brampton Battalion, The Guelph Storm, the Oshawa Generals and Mississauga St. Michaels Majors have made decisions to operate under a model centered around a director of hockey operations.

Last year the Spirit was knocked out of the first-round of the playoffs by the Soo Greyhounds. This season Saginaw is 3-3.