Ross Yates was born June 18, 1959 in Montreal, Quebec. He signed as a free agent with the Hartford Whalers in the summer of 1981 after spending five seasons at Mount Allison University. During his time at Mount Allison (1976–81), Yates was an Atlantic University Sport (AUS) First Team All-Star in 1981 when he recorded 16 goals and 56 assists for 72 points in 21 games. Following the 1981 AUS season, Yates joined the Binghamton Whalers of the American Hockey League (AHL) where he played in 14 games.