He played Tier II Junior "A" with the Burlington Cougars in 2005-06 and then played major junior with the Kitchener Rangers and the Windsor Spitfires from 2006 to 2010. Timmins appeared in three straight Memorial Cup finals (2008 to 2010), winning the last two with the Spitfires. The Florida Panthers chose Timmins 165th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.