Prior to being drafted by the NHL, Bell attended High School at St. Pius X High School (Ottawa). He grew up a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bell played in the CJHL for the Ottawa Jr. Senators where he was selected as the league's rookie of the year. Bell then moved on to the Ontario Hockey League with the Ottawa 67's where in four OHL seasons, he scored 43 goals, 176 assists, and 218 points in 303 games, including the playoffs. In 2002–03, his final season with the 67's, Bell was named the top defenseman in both the OHL and CHL. He also played on the silver-medal winning Canadian team in the 2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.