Mike Busniuk was selected 67th overall, in the fifth round of the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, by the Montreal Canadiens. It was a busy year for the Canadiens, who had already made nine prior picks that year.
Busniuk played his junior hockey with the Fort William Canadiens of the TBJHL for three years. During his third and final year, in 1970-71, Busniuk was picked up as an add-on player by the Fort William Hurricanes who had advanced to the Memorial Cup. In 12 games, he scored twice and had four points. Although the club was very competitive, the Quebec Remparts, led by the likes of Guy Lafleur, Michel Briere and Andre Savard, proved to be the best junior team in the Canada, taking the championship.
With the Canadiens already stockpiled with talent, Busniuk opted to enroll at the University of Denver to pursue his education in the fall of 1971. The four-year experience enriched Busniuk's playing skills and allowed him to receive a teaching certificate in physical education and a minor in math. He then joined the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the AHL. In 69 games, he scored 15 goals and 32 points. The following year he played for Beauce Jaros of the NAHL before returning to the Voyageurs in 1976-77. Busniuk then played three years with the Maine Mariners and has the distinction of being the only player in AHL history to be a member of four consecutive championship teams, from 1976 through 1979 and is one of just two players to have played on five Calder Cup winning teams.
Busniuk got his first chance at playing in the NHL in 1979-80 with the Philadelphia Flyers, who had signed him as a free agent two years earlier. In 71 contests, Busniuk had two goals and 20 points. He also played in 19 playoff games as the Flyers advanced to the Stanley Cup finals, losing in six games to the New York Islanders. Busniuk contributed two goals and six points. He returned to the Flyers for the 198-81 campaign, playing in 72 games, scoring a goal and six points.
The final three year's of Busniuk's pro career were spent back in the AHL with Maine. He retired after the 1983-84 season, but did play another three years of semi-pro hockey in Italy. In 143 NHL games, he scored three goals and 26 points, and came within a game of a Stanley Cup championship in 1980.
