In the NHL, Bell played for the Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Anaheim Ducks.

Bell started playing hockey at the age of four years, and grew up admiring Wayne Gretzky and Doug Gilmour.

[5] During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Bell played with the Trondheim Black Panthers in the Norwegian UPC-ligaen, recording 16 goals and 39 points in 36 games.

[7] He was initially placed on a line with Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo in his first year, but broke a bone in his wrist in the second game of the regular season.

[5] Bell never lived up to expectations and could not duplicate the numbers that he put up in Chicago scoring only 11 times and accumulating 21 points in 71 games and was often a healthy scratch in the playoffs.

[9] He played just 35 games with the Maple Leafs, suffering a facial fracture that required surgery[10] and was unable to regain his form.

[21] On July 20, 2011, Bell signed a one-year two-way contract to return to North America with the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL.

[30] During the 2006 Labor Day weekend, in Milpitas, California, Bell's rented Toyota Camry was traveling an estimated 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) when it rear-ended a pickup truck at a stop sign driven by Jose Luis Villafana, the latter's vehicle being hit 15 metres (49 ft) up a steep hill and wrapped it around a telephone pole.

Prior to sentencing, Bell had to pay restitution, including medical bills and the cost of the vehicle to Villafana, who has also filed a civil suit seeking "unlimited damages" which was later settled out of court.

The NHLPA disagreed, saying "there is no legitimate purpose served by adding a substantial league disciplinary suspension to the severe sanctions that have already been imposed".

Leafs general manager John Ferguson, Jr., who drew criticism for the trade, had anticipated that Bell would face some sort of suspension, however based upon past precedent they did not expect it to be so lengthy.

This had been suggested as a sign that the NHL was imposing stricter discipline for off-ice antics of players, after Michael Vick was expelled from the NFL as a result of his conviction for running a dog-fighting ring.