Three members of the Kootenay Ice were drafted into the NHL over the weekend, and a couple of them are hoping it means they’re teammates for a long time.

Max Reinhart and Joey Leach were nabbed within nine picks of each other, and both by the Calgary Flames.

Reinhart was taken with Calgary’s first pick, 64th overall.

“Leach texted me saying congratulations, and right as he sent that he got picked by Calgary too,” he said. “I sent the congratulations right back to him. I still watched the next couple of rounds to see if any of my other teammates got drafted.”

The centre was happy to see that the Edmonton Oilers chose winger Drew Czerwonka in the sixth round (166th overall).

Reinhart and Leach are set to take part in Calgary’s rookie camp in late July.

“It’s really cool because you don’t have to go through the whole experience of going through your first pro camp alone,” said Reinhart. “I was pretty excited to see him come to the same team.”

Leach concurred.

“It’ll make it a little bit easier to be more calm, knowing somebody when you’re in the rink and just having somebody to hang out with.”

Even a day after the draft, Leach said it was still tough to believe.

“It was quite an honour to be chosen by Calgary especially — nice and close to home. It’s just very exciting still,” said the defenceman.

Leach had spoken to the Flames a couple of times through the year.

“With it being so that we played so many games there and we were so close to Calgary, I had a feeling they had a good look at me throughout the year. But there was no real indication of where I was going to end up going.”

Leach had been hunkered down as part of a three-family gathering at a friend’s house in Wadena, Sask. on Saturday. They were watching the draft live on the NHL Network.

“We were kind of just watching patiently to see what was happening. As soon as Calgary made their choice, we were all very happy,” Leach said, noting family and friends were going to gather at his parents’ cattle-and-grain farm last night for a celebration.

Reinhart had a different draft-day experience, watching proceedings alone over the Internet at his Vancouver home; he got picked while his parents were out walking the dog.

Going in ranked 80th among the continent’s skaters, Reinhart said it was “kind of a shock” to be chosen as soon as he was.

“I was kind of thinking more in the next couple of rounds I had a chance to go. I knew it was between a couple of teams and the Flames were one of them. I was just watching on my computer and just kind of thought this could be the pick. That was really my first chance of the draft to go and I was just happy to get it over with.”

After speaking to his agent over the phone, he texted his mom and dad, who rushed back home.

“It was a pretty neat moment,” said Reinhart.

Adding to that is the fact Max’s dad Paul was an all-star Flames defenceman in the 1980s.

“It’s pretty crazy that we got drafted into the same organization,” said the junior Reinhart. “It’s an honour and he’s had nothing but good things to say about the city and the organization, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Reinhart said his dad advised him that the first camp will be a feeling-out process that will show him what he needs to do to make it as a pro.

Reinhart says his workouts this summer have been helping him bulk up to about 185 pounds.

“I’m really starting to get a lot stronger, and I think that’s what I had to work on a lot. I think I’ll come back (to the Ice) that much better of a player.”

Paul’s career ended as a member of the Canucks, which is why the family now lives in the Lower Mainland.

“I grew up as a Canucks fan, but I guess that’s going to have to change now,” said Reinhart.

When John Negrin was picked by the Flames in 2007, he said he got hassled for showing his Calgary colours in Vancouver.

“I don’t have any Flames gear yet, so I’m not going to run into that problem for a while,” said Reinhart, who won’t go out of his way to get any.

“I don’t know how my friends would react to that,” he said, with a laugh.

Leach, on the other hand, doesn’t have to worry about such engrained allegiances.

“Everybody has their own team out here, but a couple more people are Calgary Flames fans now around here I guess,” he said.

Leach liked the Detroit Red Wings, but always held the Flames in high esteem, having gone to several games at the Saddledome as a kid.

Feeling his hard work has paid off so far, Leach said he’s eager to find out what the Flames expect of him.

“The next goal in my plan is to just work hard to make it there and get to be part of their organization for real now,” he said.