Former Penticton Vees goaltender Ivan McLelland (right) and Gary Doi, who put together the book In The Moment: Real Life Stories of Hope & Inspiration, will be signing copies and selling the book Saturday night at the home opener for the Osoyoos Coyotes at the Sun Bowl Arena. (Keith Lacey photo)
Not many professional hockey players would turn down the opportunity to sign a contract with the legendary Montreal Canadiens, but Ivan McLelland did just that – and it was one of the best decisions of his life.
McLelland’s story of why he turned down a contract offer from legendary Canadiens’ general manager Frank Selke months after leading the Penticton Vees to a gold medal in the World Hockey Championships back in 1955 is one of 26 featured in the new book entitled In The Moment: Real Life Stories of Hope & Inspiration.
This is the fourth and final book of inspirational stories that have been published by retired Penticton educator Gary Doi over the past four years.
McLelland and Doi will be on hand to sign copies of the new book and hand out prizes to those who purchase the book at the regular season home opening game of the Osoyoos Coyotes on Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Sun Bowl Arena.
All of the proceeds from the sales of In The Moment will be donated to the Children’s Wish Foundation of British Columbia.
McLelland’s story, which is entitled ‘Meeting The Man’ details his meeting with Selke, who offered him a professional contract to join the Canadiens’ organization.
McLelland was invited to a tryout back in 1951 with the Vancouver Canucks, who were then a farm team for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League.
Although he failed to land the No. 1 goaltender position with the Canucks, McLelland was offered the opportunity to sign with and play for the Penticton Vees, which was one of the best senior hockey teams in Canada at the time.
In 1954, McLelland and the Vees captured the Western Canadian Senior A hockey championship and qualified to try and win “the holy grail” of amateur hockey in Canada.
They faced off against the Eastern Canadian champion Sudbury Wolves and rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win the next four games in Penticton and become national champions.
In March of 1955, McLelland and the Vees headed to Germany to compete in the World Hockey Championships.
They were massive underdogs against national teams from Russia, Sweden and Czechoslovakia, but they silenced all of their critics by amassing an 8-0 record and outscoring the opposition 66-6, including a 5-0 shutout against Team Russia in the gold medal final.
“The pride of the nation was restored … it was a dream come true,” said McLelland.
Now age 26, he wanted, like to many others, to play in the NHL.
After 12 years of organized hockey, his body bore the scars as goaltenders didn’t wear masks in those days, said McLelland.
He recalls in detail that one and only meeting with Selke in his private office in Montreal vivid detail in the book. Selke, who was small in stature with grey hair, barely acknowledged him when he walked into the office, writes McLelland.
“You have great potential … we’ve decided to offer you a contract with the Montreal Canadiens,” said Selke. “I’ll be perfectly honest with you though. You won’t be playing with the Canadiens.”
He would instead be assigned to their American Hockey League affiliate in Rochester, New York, writes McLelland.
Selke told him he would likely need at least two years in the minors and reiterated he might never play for the Canadiens.
Selke then offered him a signing bonus of $3,500 to become a professional player and contract of $4,000 annually to play in the AHL or $7,000 per year if he made the NHL.
When McLelland questioned Selke about family considerations, Selke would not make any commitments admitting pro hockey players often get traded.
McLelland talked things over with his wife and the next day refused Selke’s offer to join the Canadiens’ organization.
“It wasn’t the life for me or my family,” he writes. “Players were viewed as possessions to be moved around at the will of their owners, much like ranchers moving cattle from field to field.”
Selke showed no emotion when he turned down his offer.
“He did extend me an invitation to attend training camp the following season. And then the meeting was over. We did not even shake hands. We were done. I had sealed my fate. The dream I had since childhood was ending.”
He played one more season with the Vees and then settled in Penticton and became the Western Canada sales manager for Nielsen chocolate, a position he held for 22 years until retirement.
McLelland, who was born and raised near Timmins, Ont., has been inducted as a member of the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame, B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and Timmins Sports Hall of Fame.
In 2012, McLelland wrote a book about his life in hockey called Gold Mine to Gold Medal and Beyond and it quickly sold more than 1,000 copies. You can get a copy by visiting the website www.goldminetogoldmedal.com.
Doi said publishing four books of inspirational messages from Canadians has been a labour of love the past several years.
“The books are all about capturing the important moments in life, big and small, that inspire others,” he said. “The main focus is to try and capture special moment.”
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
