Costello was noticed by scouts as a teen and was convinced by his older brother Les, to enrol at St. Michael\'s College School, to play hockey to pay for his education. He played three seasons of junior ice hockey with the Toronto St. Michael\'s Majors in the Ontario Hockey Association, reaching the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals in the 1952–53 OHA season. Costello was signed by the Chicago Black Hawks in 1953, and was assigned to their affiliate team, the Galt Black Hawks, for the 1953–54 OHA season. Costello made his professional debut in the 1953–54 NHL season, playing 40 games with Chicago. He finished the season with the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League, reaching the Calder Cup finals in the 1953–54 AHL season. He was traded to the Boston Bruins for Frank Martin, on October 4, 1954. Costello played 54 games for the Bruins in the 1954–55 NHL season, and 41 games in the 1955–56 NHL season, when he and Lorne Ferguson were traded to the Detroit Red Wings, in exchange for Real Chevrefils and Jerry Toppazzini on January 17, 1956. After 27 games for Detroit without any points, Costello was sent down to the Edmonton Flyers early in the following season, where he finished his professional career. He played 162 games in four seasons in the NHL, and scored 13 goals, 19 assists, and 32 points. Costello felt that he had the skills to play in the NHL, but not "the mindset to be an NHL player, the way they sacrificed their bodies.” Costello finished his playing career with the Windsor Bulldogs in OHA senior hockey, while he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Assumption University in 1959.\n', '

After graduation, Costello moved to Seattle, working as the marketing director of the Seattle Totems, and stayed for 15 years. He later became publicity director for the Western Hockey League itself. Costello rose up the ranks to become director of hockey operations for the Totems, and his team won consecutive Lester Patrick Cup championships in 1967, and 1968. He moved to Ottawa in 1973, did contract work with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association teaching and working on coaching certification programs, worked as a scout for the Phoenix Roadrunners, and studied at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. He completed his law degree in 1977, then worked in the legal department of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and later as an arbitrator for the World Hockey Association Players’ Association. Costello was formally called to the bar on April 9, 1979.\n', '

Costello was recruited to became the first paid staff to lead the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) in 1979, when it was decided to have a fulltime president instead of volunteers. He was chosen because he had previously worked for the CAHA on contract work, and had a legal background. He succeeded Gord Renwick as CAHA president. When he originally accepted the job, he understood it to be a five-year commitment, but that evolved into a lifetime career.\n', '

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