Couture signs professional contract with HC Merano

Acadia Axemen goaltender Thomas Couture has signed a professional contract with HC Merano in Italy, taking the next step in his hockey career following a standout university tenure.

HC Merano competes in the Alps Hockey League (AlpsHL), a professional league based in Central Europe featuring teams from Austria, Croatia, Italy and Slovenia. Established in 2016 through the merger of Italy’s Serie A and the Inter-National League, the AlpsHL has become one of Europe’s premier developmental professional circuits.

The league featured 13 teams in 2025-26, including seven from Italy, four from Austria, one from Croatia and one from Slovenia. Merano reached the league final this past season, finishing as runners-up.

The opportunity to join the Italian club developed over several weeks through discussions between Merano and Couture’s agent.

“Merano and my agent had been in contact for a couple of weeks about the possibility of me joining them for next season,” said Couture. “I had a phone call with their general manager and I felt like there was a good connection. At the end of the day, it simply felt like a good fit through and through where I could play hockey in the pro ranks and try to gain experience while also living in a beautiful country like Italy.”

After reaching an agreement, Couture said he was relieved to have clarity about his future and excited to begin his professional career overseas.

“I am extremely excited,” he said. “The last couple of months were extremely nerve-racking due to the uncertainty of next season for me. I knew that I would be moving on to the pros, but I had no idea where in the world. This made the agreement feel so much better and a lot of weight has certainly been taken off my shoulders.”

Couture departs Acadia following one of the most decorated seasons by a goaltender in program history.

In 2025-26, he was named the U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Goaltender of the Year and earned U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian honours at the national championship awards ceremony in Halifax.

He became the first goaltender in Acadia history to receive U SPORTS Goaltender of the Year recognition. His First Team All-Canadian selection was also the program’s first since current Axemen assistant coach Liam Heelis earned the honour in 2013-14, and the first All-Canadian recognition for an Acadia player since goaltender Logan Flodell was named a second-team selection in 2019-20.

Couture was also named an AUS First Team All-Star after leading both the conference and the nation with 861 saves during the regular season.

He finished first in the AUS and third nationally with a .927 save percentage, while his 14 victories ranked sixth in U SPORTS and third in the conference. His 2.49 goals-against average was the third-best mark in the AUS.

In the postseason, Couture started all six playoff games for the Axemen and helped guide the team to a quarterfinal series victory over STFX before advancing to the AUS semifinal against Moncton.

Reflecting on his three seasons in Wolfville, Couture said the Acadia experience played a significant role in preparing him for life as a professional athlete.

“Acadia helped me mature and grow up as a person,” said Couture. “You come to school fresh out of billet families where cooking is always taken care of, and now you have to do your own laundry, cooking, groceries and all those adult things that you’ve never done, which forces you to grow up.”

He also credited the coaching staff and the opportunity to play meaningful minutes for helping him reach the professional level.

“As far as my development as a hockey player, Acadia has helped me excel and has given me all the tools to succeed,” he said. “Coaches who believe in you and show trust in you can go a long way, and I’ve had that throughout my three years. I’ve played a lot of hockey games during my years at Acadia and that is experience that you cannot replicate in practice.”

Over his Acadia career, Couture established himself as one of the top goaltenders in the AUS and U SPORTS. In addition to his national awards this season, he earned AUS First Team All-Star honours and was named to the AUS All-Rookie Team in 2023-24, capping a university career that now leads him to the professional ranks in Italy.