#FlaPanthers name Thomas Drance VP of Communications & Public Relations: https://t.co/joZbn4VCAG pic.twitter.com/PIG5swIf5q
— Florida Panthers PR (@FlaPanthersPR) January 3, 2017
The Nation Network is pleased and proud to announce that our Editor in Chief, Thomas Drance, has stepped down to take a position with the Florida Panthers.
Since joining the Nation Network as a writer in 2011, Drance rose through the ranks within our team until eventually being named Editor in Chief in February of 2015, a role he excelled at before accepting the position of Vice President of Communications and Public Relations with the Florida Panthers.
In his time as Editor in Chief, Drance pushed the Nation Network forward in terms of quality of content, growing the writer base, as well as the expansion of the Network itself. Thomas was integral to the negotiations and additions of both BlueJaysNation.com and WingsNation.com to our stable of sites, as well as overseeing the Nation Network as traffic swelled to over 160 million page views per year.
Having a team member leave the Nation Network for an opportunity with an NHL team is not new to us. This trend is something that we’ve seen before and we wear it like a badge of honour. We could not be happier to support Thomas with his new opportunity to work for a National Hockey League team. In our industry, working for an NHL team is viewed as the pinnacle of success and we are thrilled to see Thomas Drance get the chance to live out that dream. His hard work, dedication, and attention to detail will serve him well in his new role and it is an opportunity that is well deserved.
The Nation Network will remain committed to building and maintaining the best collection of free content on the web, and that includes continuing the fine work and ideas conceived by Thomas Drance. Effective immediately, the new Editor in Chief of the Nation Network will be Mike Gagnon, a longtime behind-the-scenes member of the Network who has extensive experience in team building, social media, and content generation.
Read the official Florida Panthers release on Thomas Drance’s new role here.
CA staffers to Florida Panthers HQ. Our way of getting even for the Ballard, Booth and Gudbranson trades? If that is the plan we are sending the wrong CA staffers to them…
Congrats and best wishes.
That’s great for Drance. What hockey fan wouldn’t like a job with an NHL team. In Florida?
It’s even likely the Cats will make him GM.
Congrats and good luck!
Well done Thom! I look forward to watching the Oilers kick your team half way to hell when you have the misfortune to meet us on the field of battle. You did a great job during your time here, good luck with everything.
Congrats. It’s tough that all the CA use their abilities to the detriment of the Canucks. Maybe initiate the trade in our favour for once?
At this rate can we dream that Vanessa will one day replace Bettman and everything will be right in the world again?
Congrats to Drancer!
Congratulations Drance, we’ll miss you.
So…Hansen to FLA for ___________, I presume?
Tell the TV production there to elevate the cameras there in the building for better viewing angle. Difficult to watch when most of the action takes place in that glass/air interface at top of glass. Oh and congrats.
How many Oilers nation guys have been hired by NHL teams?
you do realize the nation network was started in Edmonton right?……..Theyre all technically ‘Oilers Nation’ Guys
Congrats to Mr Drance.
Should the “sunshine” state ever need some ‘doom and gloom dark cloud negativity’ there is a CA writer who could fit the bill…..
So who’s going to be the first person from the Nation to become an NHL GM?
Ryan Biech.
Congrats. Next stop: the White House?
Awesome news!
I follow the Panther’s social media presence a bit, and I can tell you they’re not short on effort in trying to grow the game down there.
It might seem like a tough task but any lessons learned there can be applied to the entire league, ultimately growing this sport that we all love.
As a hockey fan first and foremost I not only wish you the best over there, but the entire organization as well.
Technically, we’re all employees of Oilers Nation, the original company, and we just publish on different sites.