Left-winger Joe Bell was born on November 27th, 1923 in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. He spent three seasons with the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, the best of which came in his final year when he led the league with 36 goals. The next year, Bell took his goal-scoring ways to Manhattan where he joined the Rangers for four contests and scored a pair of goals.
The bulk of that season and all of the next one were spent playing senior hockey, including a year where he led the league in goals and points. In 1944-45, Bell suspended his hockey career to serve in the Canadian military. He returned to hockey the following year playing with Hershey-New Haven of the American Hockey League, and he dominated with a league-leading 46 goals and an impressive 77 points in 62 games. As a result, he was named to the First All-Star Team. Bell's solid play in the AHL led to another chance with the New York Rangers, where Bell suited up for 47 games in 1946-47 scoring ten points.
While Bell never again played in the NHL, he continued to enjoy success at the minor pro level. After two more seasons in the AHL, Bell moved on to the United States Hockey League for the 1948-49 campaign and was named to the Second All Star Team at season's end. Bell later joined the Seattle Ironmen of the Pacific Coast Hockey League, and, for the fourth time in his career, led his league in goal scoring, notching 46 goals.
Bell would switch leagues again, moving from Seattle Ironmen of the PCHL to the Seattle Bombers of the Western Hockey League. His final two seasons were spent with Nelson Maple Leafs of the Western International Hockey League. In his second last season, Bell led the league in scoring again, accumulating 78 points in just 38 games.
Bell retired having led two leagues in scoring and four leagues in goal production.
