Yerkovich joins American Hockey League staff

The ECHL announced on Tuesday that Director of Officiating Operations Riley Yerkovich has been named Director, Officiating and Player Safety for the American Hockey League.

Among his duties will be management of the AHL’s staff of on-ice officials and of the league’s Player Safety Committee.

Yerkovich joined the ECHL staff as Manager of Officiating Operations in the 2022-23 season and was promoted to Director of Officiating Operations in June 2024. Before joining the League Office staff, Yerkovich spent three-plus seasons as an ECHL referee, and was selected to work the 2022 ECHL All-Star Classic in Jacksonville and the 2022 Kelly Cup Finals. The Wyoming native also worked games in the AHL and for the IIHF. He was a member of USA Hockey’s Officiating Development Program since 2015, and refereed the 2018 and 2019 NAHL Top Prospects Tournaments and the 2019 NAHL Robertson Cup Final. Yerkovich attended the NHL Officiating Exposure Combine in 2019 and worked the 2019 Traverse City NHL Prospects Tournament and the 2021 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

About the ECHL

Formed in 1988-89 with five teams in four states, the ECHL has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 30 teams in 23 states and one Canadian province for its 38th season in 2025-26. There have been 768 players who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League after starting their careers in the ECHL, including 16 who made their NHL debuts in the 2024-25 season. The ECHL has affiliations with 30 of the 32 NHL teams in 2025-26, marking the 28th consecutive season that the league has affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com.