ºüÀêÊÓƵ is not home right now for Blues prospect Colin Ralph.
But it was for a year in high school, and he’s hoping it is again at some point in the future.
Ralph spent 2021-22, his sophomore year, in Kirkwood. Originally from Maple Grove, Minn., Ralph said he wanted to continue to play AAA hockey, so he and his mom moved south to the ºüÀêÊÓƵ area to play with CarShield and for Kirkwood High School.
“We did a little bit of research and found that Kirkwood was a good spot to live,†Ralph said at development camp earlier this month. “We really enjoyed living there. It was kind of a small-town feel, but it’s not that small of a town. Just great people there.â€
After the one year in the area, Ralph returned to Minnesota in order to attend Shattuck-St. Mary’s School and play for their prestigious hockey program. He played two years there before the Blues selected him in the second round of this year’s draft with the No. 48 pick.
Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Macklin Celebrini, Jonathan Toews and Zach Parise are notable players who attended Shattuck.
“Growing up in Minnesota, you kind of always know about Shattuck,†Ralph said. “I didn’t really know what it was all about until I took a visit. After being there for the last two years, it was perfect for me, the mix of the people there, the school and the hockey program. I can’t thank all the people there enough.â€
The left-handed defenseman was one of the largest players in the draft this year, measuring in at 6-4 and 226, according to NHL Central Scouting. Among the 360 draft-eligible skaters that Central Scouting ranked, only one player weighed more than Ralph.
In 57 games last season, Ralph also had 66 points, the most by a Shattuck-St. Mary’s defenseman since Scott Morrow had 67 in 2019-20. Morrow is currently regarded as one of Carolina’s top prospects after completing a three-year career at UMass.
Ralph will play collegiately at St. Cloud State in the fall, which is about 45 minutes from his hometown.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by good people and good coaches that have pushed me forward,†Ralph said. “I wanted to continue to try and find something like that in the recruiting process. I felt like I made a really good connection with all three of the coaches there. Just felt really comfortable there. It helps that it’s close to home, so people can come watch and visit.â€
Ralph’s selection continued a theme for the Blues at the draft of picking big defensemen with their early picks. At No. 16, ºüÀêÊÓƵ took 6-2 Adam Jiricek. Then came Ralph at No. 48, and 6-3 Lukas Fischer at No. 56.
“We’re bigger and we’re faster, that’s for sure,†Blues assistant general manager Tim Taylor said. “I think you see the draft that we had this year, there’s a lot of big guys coming in.â€
Prior to those trio of selections, the Blues’ prospect pipeline was thin on the back end, relying on Theo Lindstein (2023 first round), Michael Buchinger (2022 third round) and Quinton Burns (2023 third round) to carry hope for the future.
Ralph said he met with the Blues “once or twice†during the season, and again spoke to the organization at the NHL combine. When the middle of the second round rolled around, he was alert.
“I knew that was my range, so when it comes around to that time, you’re kind of just saying ‘Any minute now,’ †Ralph said. “Super excited.â€
At the three-day development camp after the draft, Ralph made an impression on Blues brass — particularly with general manager Doug Armstrong. When asked who had impressed him at camp, Armstrong responded “that Ralph kid that we took.â€
“Didn’t know a lot about him, don’t get to a lot of high school hockey games,†Armstrong said. “But he’s a big horse. He’s a big horse. He’s a man, and he can really skate. I found him impressive.â€
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Blues general manager Doug Armstrong praises recent draft picks and shares excitement for what they'll add to the team. (Video courtesy of ºüÀêÊÓƵ Blues)
