The son of former professional hockey player Bob Sneddon, who played for the California Golden Seals, Kevin Sneddon was raised in Burlington, Ontario, and attended Harvard where he was a four-year letterwinner under coaches Bill Cleary and Ronn Tomassoni. He was a freshman defenseman on the Crimson's 1989 national championship team, appearing in 32 games and registering six points. After the 1989 season, Sneddon was selected in the 12th round of the 1989 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He continued his playing career at Harvard, captaining the team his senior season, amassing 23 points in his career.