Mark Riley was born and raised in Boston and is one of the most-booked comedians in New England. He started playing hockey at the age of 4 and continued to play through college at Curry. His playing career ended due to a back injury in his senior year. Not long after graduation his refereeing career began. At the urging on from his brother Steven, who had reffed for years, he gave refereeing a try. He loved how it kept him connected hockey and decided to turn it into a career.

Mark attended a USA Hockey Regional development camp in Lake Placid. The next season, he officiated high school and youth hockey before attending the USA Hockey National Development Camp, where he was hired to work full-time in the USHL and part-time in the minor pro Central Hockey League. After a successful season, highlighted by officiating the USHL finals, Mark was accepted into the USA Hockey Select Camp, which included only twelve participants. Here, Mark met Andy van Hellemond, a long-time NHL referee and the Director of Officials for the East Coast Hockey League. Mark was hired to work the ECHL where he was for four years. He made multiple trips out west to work the Western Hockey League and the West Coast Hockey League. Mark was hired by the NHL but then fired a week later. Why you ask? He was born in the wrong country. Mark went on to work division 1 college hockey in the ECAC for 2 years and then took time off to focus on coaching his daughter at Thayer Academy. Mark came back to refereeing and now works college and junior hockey along with supervising for Referee’s Crease.

Mark co-authored the movie script “Penalty Box” based on his life in pro hockey. He is currently publishing his first book and has many
television appearances in commercials and on NESN and Dirty Water TV. And to further impress you, he was a finalist in the 2016 Boston Comedy Festival.