Acton attended Lake Superior State University where he played four seasons of NCAA hockey with Lakers where he scored 77 points and registered 132 penalty minutes in 144 games played.
On July 5, 2013, the Edmonton Oilers signed Acton as a free agent to a two-year, two-way contract.[2]
Acton started the 2013–14 season on the Oilers' NHL roster, and scored his first NHL goal on October 14, 2013, against Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals. He would split the season between the Oilers, and AHL affiliate the Oklahoma City Barons.
In the 2014–15 season, Acton appeared in 3 games with the Oilers before on November 20, 2014, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks, in exchange for center Kellan Lain.[3] Acton was immediately assigned to the Canucks AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets for the remainder of the season.
As an un-signed free agent over the summer on September 28, 2015, Acton accepted a European offer in agreeing to a one-year deal with the German club, Schwenninger Wild Wings of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).[4] Acton led the Wild Wings in total points with 55 (16 goals, 39 assists) in 46 games, which ranked him third in the DEL regular season.[5]
After captaining the Wild Wings in the 2017–18 season, Acton left after his contract to sign a three-year deal with fellow DEL club, the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers, on April 26, 2018.[6]