Hern began playing ice hockey at an early age, playing for school teams in St. Marys and
Stratford, playing both as a goaltender and a forward. Hern played for Stratford Legionnaires from 1898 to 1901. In the 1906–07 season, Hern joined the
Montreal Wanderers of the
Eastern Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (ECAHA). Hern posted a 10–0 regular season record in his first season with the Wanderers. The Wanderers won the
Stanley Cup four times, three straight seasons, from 1906 to 1908, and in 1910. The Wanderers also successfully defended the Cup in six out of seven challenges in that time span. The only challenge they lost was against the
Kenora Thistles in January 1907; the Wanderers reclaimed the Cup in their own successful challenge two months later. Hern retired from playing professional ice hockey in 1911, at the age of 30. Hern went on to become a successful businessman, owning a
haberdashery in
Montreal. He was involved in organizing various ice hockey leagues and printing schedules. Hern died at Ross Memorial Pavilion of a heart ailment that had been ailing him for six weeks on June 24, 1929. He was inducted posthumously into the
Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963. Hern's grandson is Allan F. Nicholls, who played the role of Charlestown Chiefs captain Johnny Upton in the 1977 film
Slap Shot. Riley Hern is regarded by some as being among the best goaltenders of all time, coming in at 25th overall according to veteran hockey writers Kevin Allen and Bob Duff in their 2002 book ''Without Fear: Hockey's 50 Greatest Goaltenders''. ==Career statistics==