Kesler played minor ice hockey in Detroit for teams such as Compuware, Honeybaked and Little Caesars of the Midwest Elite Hockey League (MWEHL). He played in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Little Caesars team. Around age 13, Kesler was cut from every AAA team he tried out for. Consequently, he played for his dad's Livonia Hockey Association bantam team, which he coached. Kesler credits his brother, who is nine years older than him, for getting him into hockey. During his minor career, he established a lasting friendship with Chris Conner, who went on to be drafted by the Dallas Stars.