After living in Goodeve, Saskatchewan, and Melville, Saskatchewan, during his childhood, McLellan started his playing career with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1983 to 1987. In the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, he was drafted by the New York Islanders in the fifth round. He played a total of five games at the NHL level, spending most of two seasons with the Islanders\' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Indians. However, recurring shoulder injuries dating back to his junior hockey days ended McLellan\'s North American playing career after the 1988–89 season. He scored his only NHL goal on his league debut on December 28, 1987 in a 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils.\n', '

He returned home to study at the University of Saskatchewan for a year, before resuming his playing career for S.IJ. Utrecht of the Eredivisie in the Netherlands. During his three seasons there, the team hired a new coach, who moved in with McLellan and made him a player-coach, which McLellan recognizes as the reason he became interested in coaching.\n', '

Following his stint as a player-coach with SIJ Utrecht, McLellan returned to Canada in 1992. He went into full-time coaching in 1993, being hired as the coach of the North Battleford North Stars of the Saskatchewan Junior League. In 1994, McLellan was hired as the head coach and general manager of the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, where he succeeded Graham James. In his six seasons with Swift Current, the Broncos qualified for the WHL playoffs in all seasons. McLellan himself was named WHL Executive of the Year in 1997 and Coach of the Year in 2000.\n', '

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