 Angell began his ice hockey career playing in the Duluth youth leagues where he honed his skills before playing at Duluth East High School.During his senior year, Angell led the Duluth East Greyhounds in winning the 1998 Minnesota High School Boys Hockey tournament, and was nominated for the Mr. Hockey award, which is given to Minnesota's most valuable high school hockey player.He was then recruited to play for the University of Minnesota in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, from 1998 to 2002, where he helped Minnesota win their fifth NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship in 2002.