Erik Gardiner was sitting in class when he found out that being drafted into the Western Hockey League (WHL) was a family thing.
Three years after his brother Reid, 18, was picked by the Prince Albert Raiders, Erik was chosen 35th overall by the Regina Pats. The lanky 15-year-old, currently a Grade 9 student at Humboldt Collegiate Institute (HCI), spent the past hockey season with the Bantam AA Broncos.
On a recent afternoon at HCI, the two brothers sat down to talk about their hockey futures. If all goes well, Erik won't be the only Gardiner brother drafted this year; Reid, ranked 29th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, is likely to hear his name called at this year's NHL Draft, to be held June 27-28 in Philadelphia.
It's a dizzying amount of success for a pair of brothers from a small town, but the Gardiner boys are doing their best to stay levelheaded and humble, a buzzword that came up more than once from them and their parents, Shaun and Karla. That humility manifests itself in a desire for the boys to stay as normal as possible; last summer Reid did track and badminton, while Erik was taking a break from badminton practice to talk about his hockey career.
Both Erik and Reid grew up playing many different sports, but their obvious talent for hockey eventually pushed both of them in that direction. They are both forwards, and when asked to compare each other's games, there was no shortage of opinions.
"Erik's got pretty good vision on the ice, something I probably didn't have at the same age," Reid says.
"He can score more, for sure," Erik adds.
"We've both got good shots, are physical, but aren't the quickest guys in the world," Reid finishes. "Our hockey IQ is pretty good, though."
To improve on perceived weaknesses - both brothers mentioned skating - they lean heavily on their father, Shaun. With a football background at the University of Saskatchewan and a kinesiology degree, Shaun, who is a teacher at HCI, works with his sons on all aspects of the game. In tandem with Clayton Parobec of Parobec Fitness, Shaun was quick to point out how localized Erik and Reid's training is. He also mentioned the support of Rick Valette, Reid's agent from Octagon Sports.
"A lot of guys go to the big cities to train, but we're very proud of our status as small-town trainers," Shaun said. "It's a long-term process that we treat very systematically to tailor their bodies over time. For example, both of them mentioned skating. To get better at that, you need more leg strength, more core strength, and that will help you get better."
Any improvements Erik makes will be seen on the ice in Prince Albert, where he is set to play next season with the AAA Midget Mintos, the reigning national champions. Erik will play at least one seasin with the Mintos, as he's not eligible to play in the WHL until he's at least 16.
"It's definitely exciting to be playing for the national champions," Erik says. "It's a lot of pressure but it'll be great to be playing for such an awesome organization."
For Shaun and Karla, having Erik drafted by the Pats was a big relief. Like Reid, he will be staying close to home.
"As a parent you're always nervous because so much depends on where you get drafted, how the team can help you as a hockey player and a person," Shaun says, balancing a badminton racket on his knee. "How things worked out for both Reid and Erik was close to perfect."
Of course, there's a good chance that Reid won't be playing close to home for that much longer. He will be heading to Toronto May 25-31 for the NHL Combine, where he will be put through a battery of physical tests and interviews with teams.
"I've been training the last couple weeks for specific testing, like the bench press and bikes," Reid says. "I'll be doing some mock interviews over the next couple of weeks and hopefully somebody sees something they like while I'm there."
In his second season with the Raiders, Reid scored 44 points in 70 games. Much of that production came during a scintillating start to the season before a cold spell took over near the end.
"A lot of it was the mental side of the game," Reid says as he tries to explain his slump. "I was worrying a little bit and gripping the stick too tight. Bounces were really going my way in the first half of the season, and then that completely changed. I still thought I was contributing and playing well though."
The scouts obviously agreed, as Reid moved up 11 spots - from 40th to 29th - from the midseason to end-of-year Central Scouting rankings for North American skaters. That jump and the looming possibility of being drafted into the NHL has made Reid a bit of a minor celebrity in town.
"It's a new thing, people knowing who I am throughout the community," Reid says. "It's nice to be recognized, but I also have to sometimes think about things before I do them because people do know more about me now."
If there's one thing that the Gardiner family seems allergic to, it's fame and hype. Those sorts of things are inevitable when a member of your family is on the verge of making the NHL, but it's something they try to avoid at all costs.
"It's not about us," Shaun says. He's careful to hammer home the point that nothing has happened yet, that it's all still uncertain.
"The NHL Draft is Reid's goal, not ours. We're there to support him along the way, but we're not at that point yet."
Part of staying grounded is doing things outside of hockey. Reid, who says he enjoys English and phys ed, will be graduating from HCI on June 26. Less than two days later, he could become an NHL draft pick. At that point, staying humble will become more important than ever. Getting drafted and having a long career are two very different things.
"I've seen lots of guys get lost in the process," Reid says.
If their family background is any indication, Reid and Erik won't have to worry about getting lost. Success isn't guaranteed, but being prepared makes it a lot more likely. If anything, the Gardiners are prepared.
