Brad Ralph was born October 17, 1980 in Richmond, Ontario. The second round, 53rd overall selection of the Phoenix Coyotes in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, Ralph is a graduate of the CJHL's Kanata Valley Lasers.
After two seasons with Kanata, Ralph joind the OHL's Oshawa Generals in 1997 and went on to play three seasons improving his offensive total in each year. In his three years in Oshawa, Ralph scored 79 goals and added 96 assists for 175 points before making his pro debut with the AHL's Springfield Falcons in 2000-01. Even though he spent the better part of the year in the AHL, Ralph made his NHL debut during the year.
A shoulder injury limited the young winger to a mere 16 games with the ECHL's Mississippi Sea Wolves in 2001-02. Having recovered from his injury, Ralph split his 2002-03 season with Mississippi and Springfield.