Merrimack College At 17, Aquino attended
Merrimack College from 1999 to 2002 on full hockey scholarship. He led the team in goals scored in each of his three seasons at Merrimack. In 110 career games at Merrimack over three seasons, Aquino totaled 115 points on 56 goals and 59 assists. Aquino was awarded NCAA (Hockey East) All-Rookie Team following his freshman year in 1999–2000. He was awarded NCAA (Hockey East) Second All-Star Team the following two years, as well as NCAA (New England) D1 All-Stars 2001–2002. In 2002, he was promoted to captain and became the 9th player to ever reach the mark of 100 career points for Merrimack since the program joined Hockey East in 1988. For nine years, Aquino held the record of most points scored over any other Merrimack player, from his 2001–02 season; as well as most points per game average. Merrimack unveiled the All-Decade Team in 2010, naming Aquino as their leading forward. An all-rookie and all-Hockey East selection, he was the last Warrior to net 40 points until 2010.
Professional At Merrimack College, Anthony Aquino was a member of the Hockey East All-Rookie Team as a 17-year-old freshman, a Hockey East Second Team All-Star his sophomore season, and led Merrimack in scoring for the second straight season his junior season. Prior to his senior season, and as senior caption, Aquino received an invitation from the
Dallas Stars, who drafted him in the third round in 2001, to participate in both the team's rookie development camp and full-squad training camp on a tryout basis, he decided to accept looking to join the team or play with
Oshawa Generals of the OHL for one year. At the end of August, a U.S. federal court judge granted a preliminary injunction allowing Aquino to play in the OHL as a 20-year-old 'overeager'. The injunction was granted, but the OHL appealed, forcing Aquino to make a decision between returning to Merrimack or playing in the OHL. Aquino filed a lawsuit against the OHL in an attempt to follow in the footsteps of
Mike Van Ryn. Aquino joined the
Oshawa Generals Sept. 25, 2002, and played 14 games before the OHL ruled him ineligible on Nov. 5. Aquino refused to sign with Dallas and forced a trade. On March 11, 2003, The
Atlanta Thrashers acquired Aquino, the twenty-year-old right wing, from the
Dallas Stars for a sixth-round draft pick.
Retirement Aquino officially retired from hockey on January 21, 2016. Aquino had completed his degree from the University of Southern Denmark with a M.Sc. in Economics and Business Administration; he now works in finance. ==Personal life==