2024 second-round pick left St. Cloud State to join Spartans, in hopes of winning a national championship
But when the Spartans' season ended in the regional championship following a loss to Wisconsin, the immediate attention turned to whether the second round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft would turn pro or stay in school for at least another year.
The decision came on Friday when the St. Louis Blues announced that they have signed the defenseman to a three-year entry-level contract that will begin with the 2026-27 season.
Like recent signee Felix Trudeau, Ralph, 20, will report to Springfield of the American Hockey League on a professional tryout.
This season, Ralph (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) played in 37 games with the Spartans and had 11 points (one goal, 10 assists).
Michigan State won the Big Ten regular season championship and were ranked No. 1 for a number of weeks this season before finishing No. 3, losing 4-3 in overtime to No. 12 Wisconsin.
After playing in 35 games for St. Cloud State University last season and earning a selection to the NCHC All-Rookie Team, Ralph represented the United States at the 2025 U-20 World Junior Championship and posted one assist in seven tournament games to help Team USA win the gold medal.
Overall, Ralph has played in 72 NCAA games over the past two seasons (19 points; two goals, 17 assists).
As a junior, Ralph spent the 2021-22 season in St. Louis, playing for CarShield AAA U16 and Kirkwood High School.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.