Ranheim is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers ice hockey program where he played four seasons between 1984 and 1988 and graduated as one of the school\'s all-time leading scorers. He was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American in his senior year and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. In his first professional season, 1988–89 with Calgary\'s International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles, Ranheim\'s 68 goals was the fourth-highest total in all of professional hockey that season and earned him the Gary F. Longman Memorial Trophy as the IHL\'s rookie of the year.\n', '

Ranheim was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but grew up in Minnesota. He played his high school hockey in Edina, where he captained his team to a state championship in 1983–84 and was named to Minnesota\'s All-State Team. The Calgary Flames selected him in the second round, 38th overall, at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, though Ranhiem opted to play college hockey with the Wisconsin Badgers prior to turning professional. Following a 22-point season in his freshman year of 1984–85, Ranheim won the Badgers\' Otto Breitenbach Most Improved Player Award as the team\'s most improved player in 1985–86 after scoring 17 goals and recording 17 assists in 34 games. He also played with the United States junior team at the 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where his six goals and three assists helped the Americans win the bronze medal, the first podium finish for the country in World Junior history.\n', '

A 57-point season in 1986–87 earned Ranheim honors as he was named to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Second All-Star Team and to the conference All-Academic Team. He was also named to the preliminary roster of the American entry for the 1988 Winter Olympics. However he failed to make the team, and after contemplating turning professional with the Flames, elected to return to Wisconsin for his senior season in 1987–88. Ranheim shared the team\'s captaincy with Steve Tuttle, and his 36 goals led the team. He was named a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American and was placed on the WCHA\'s All-Tournament Team. Additionally, Ranheim was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award (won by Robb Stauber) as the top college player in the NCAA. Ranheim graduated from Wisconsin having scored 177 points in 161 games, at the time the ninth best total in school history.\n', '

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