The St. Louis Blues approached the 2024 Draft with a clear objective: to bolster their prospect pool with defensive talent. Armed with three picks in the first two rounds, they used each one to select a defenseman. Among these selections was Colin Ralph, a towering 6-foot-5 blueliner from Shattuck St. Mary’s, a school renowned for producing NHL stars from 37-year-old Sidney Crosby to 18-year-old Macklin Celebrini.
As a defensive defenseman, Ralph has never been one to dominate the scoresheet. However, the Blues clearly viewed him as a top-tier prospect, selecting the St. Cloud State University commit with the 48th overall pick. Now, just a few months into his collegiate hockey career, Ralph has already made an impact. He recently spoke with The Hockey Writers about his freshman season, the draft process, and more.
Shattuck Prepared Ralph
If you are a hockey fan, you are familiar with Shattuck St. Mary’s School, a 36-time USA Hockey national champion. As the school’s top defenseman, Ralph won two national championships in his time with the program while maturing on and off the ice.
“Going to Shattuck [St. Mary’s] was the best decision my family and I ever made,” Ralph said. “I learned so much about growing up and being a man. The entire coaching staff is so committed and wants every player to reach their hockey goals and succeed. I learned so much from Coach Ward about playing my style and not trying to be somebody I am not. I played with some really terrific teammates while I was there and winning two national championships on such a competitive and strong team prepared me well for college.”
Colin Ralph gets his first collegiate goal! 👊#GoHuskies | #HuskyHockey 🏒 pic.twitter.com/SfwlPK6T6r
— St. Cloud State Men's Hockey (@SCSUHuskies_MH) October 13, 2024
Competing on the nation’s top high school team alongside standout players like Colorado Avalanche draft pick William Zellers and Mikey Berchild, a top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, gave Ralph valuable insight into thriving alongside elite talent. By the time he arrived at St. Cloud State for his freshman season, he was ready to make an immediate impact. Despite being the youngest player on the roster by more than a year, he currently ranks second in ice time, trailing only 23-year-old Cooper Wylie.
In discussing his prominent role as the team’s lone teenager, Ralph said “I think the ice time is earned. And while we are all friends, every day at practice is competitive and we push each other. I have a strong understanding of my identity and am dependable which has allowed me to [earn the ice time I have].”
With St. Cloud sitting at 9-4-0, second in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) in wins and points percentage, Ralph has been a key contributor to one of the conference’s most successful teams. It should be no surprise his individual development has seen positive growth, too.
“This season I have already gotten much better in puck play and solving problems in the defensive zone. I’ve already gotten a lot better at defensive zone breakouts. I want to continue working on all of that while maintaining a focus on my offensive upside. It’s no secret I am a defensive defenseman first, but with my mobility, there is still a lot of room to improve offensively.”
Ralph’s Draft Process
Heading into the 2024 Draft, Ralph was a highly sought-after prospect, projected to go in the second or third round thanks to his size, strength, and well-rounded skill set. When the Blues selected him midway through the second round, it came as a bit of a surprise—albeit a welcome one.
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“The Blues were definitely on my radar but I didn’t know where I stacked up, but they were one of the top five teams [in terms of interest],” Ralph said. “I would have been surprised by whoever took me. Not in a bad way, there were just a lot of questions [by many teams].”
While we will never know how the draft would have unfolded, there was a run on left-handed defenseman following Ralph’s selection, headlined by Leon Muggli to the Washington Capitals, Leo Sahlin Wallenius to the San Jose Sharks, and Jesse Pulkkinen to the New York Islanders.
The draft process unfolded much as Ralph had expected, but it wasn’t without its memorable moments. Ahead of a combine workout, he made a notable misstep, admitting, “I ate half of a Chipotle burrito before the combine testing.” Unsurprisingly, it didn’t sit well in his stomach, but he didn’t let it hold him back, notably finishing top-10 in the no-arm jump with 19.79 inches.
Defenseman Colin Ralph played for CarShield AAA and Kirkwood High School…now he's a draft pick of the St. Louis Blues (and he's excited to come back and eat more barbecue 🍖).#NHLDraft x #stlblues pic.twitter.com/R0TunTV9ym
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) June 29, 2024
Since getting drafted, the Blues have prioritized Ralph’s development, implementing professional strategies to support his growth both before and during his freshman season.
“[The Blues] have been in constant communication with me. I communicate weekly with Glen Wesley, who has been a really good resource,” said Ralph. “He’s been able to watch my games and break the film down. His 20 years of experience has been really helpful. Just a great resource.”
Ralph’s Future in St. Louis
At just 19 years old, Ralph’s future looks promising, thanks to his early success at St. Cloud. While he continues to develop his game, his ultimate goal of playing professionally in the NHL remains.
“I’ve thought about [turning professional] but it’s not something I am concerned about. I’m just trying to stay in the moment. I just got to St. Cloud and have a lot of room in my game to grow, so I’m focusing on [development] while preparing for whenever the time comes to sign a contract. Whenever it is, I know I’ll be ready.”
When Ralph eventually reaches the NHL, it won’t be his first time playing hockey in St. Louis. Raised in Maple Grove, Minnesota, he played locally before spending time at Kirkwood High School, just a 30-minute drive from the Enterprise Center.
Though a Midwest native, Ralph grew up rooting for the Los Angeles Kings. He was able to enjoy their success in the early 2010s, fascinated by Drew Doughty’s play. While the two defensemen shoot from opposite sides, they share traits as physical, smooth-skating, defensive defensemen. When Ralph returns to St. Louis as a member of the Blues, a matchup against the Kings will undoubtedly be circled on his calendar.
As the Blues continue their self-proclaimed retool and youth movement under head coach Jim Montgomery, fans will be closely watching the team’s developing talent. Though Ralph doesn’t light up the scoresheet, his game as a defensive defenseman is far more impactful than the numbers suggest—making him a prospect Blues fans should not overlook.
