Arizona Coyotes general manager Don Maloney has been relieved of his duties, the team confirmed Monday.
Maloney served as the Coyotes' general manager since 2007 and was the NHL General Manager of the Year in 2010.
See also: Anthony LeBlanc explains why the Coyotes fired GM Don Maloney
"We believe a change in leadership is needed in order to move our franchise to the next level," said Coyotes president, CEO and co-owner Anthony LeBlanc, adding "it is fair to say there has been a difference in philosophy" as far as how to move the team forward.
The Coyotes missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season but made significant improvements in 2015-16. After finishing the 2014-15 season with a Western Conference-worst 56 points, they earned 78 points this season and were in playoff contention for most of the year.
But LeBlanc said the differences in vision between Maloney and the ownership group were just too great, and the process of searching for a new GM has already begun.
