Hodgson began playing organized hockey at age four in Haliburton. Playing for the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA)'s Haliburton Huskies, he was teammates with Matt Duchene. The two were childhood friends and played together throughout their minor and junior careers, including with the Brampton Battalion and on Canada's national under-18 and under-20 teams. His family was also friends with Jeff Skinner's family growing up in Markham. Hodgson played bantam hockey with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), captaining a team that included four other eventual 2008 NHL draftees – Alex Pietrangelo, Tyler Cuma, Josh Brittain and Stefan Della Rovere. His tenure with the team included a provincial championship. Hodgson then joined the OMHA's Markham Waxers, competing with their bantam team in 2004–05, then at the midget level in 2005–06. He recorded a 51-point campaign over 30 games in his midget season, while also recording one assist over two games with the club's Junior A side. During his tenure with the Waxers program, he played alongside future NHL players Steven Stamkos and Michael Del Zotto. Hodgson had also played alongside Stamkos on annual summer teams, starting at the age of 11.