Mike Busniuk

Michael Busniuk (born December 13, 1951 in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is the younger brother of Ron Busniuk, who played for the Buffalo Sabres.

Busniuk was selected 67th overall, in the 5th round of the 1971 NHL Draft, by the Montreal Canadians.

His junior career was played in Thunder Bay for the Fort William Canadiens. Upon leaving junior hockey, Busniuk continued his career at the University of Denver (1970–1974) where his team made the Final Four, three out of his four years at the school.

Mike’s professional hockey career highlights consisted of three seasons with the AHL team, Nova Scotia Voyageurs prior to moving to Maine to play for the very successful, Maine Mariners. His career in Maine, landed him 4 Calder Cup Championships, the only player in AHL history to win that many. Upon graduating from the AHL, Busniuk played for the NHL Philadelphia Flyers between the years of 1979 to 1981, where the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Finals to lose in six games to the New York Islanders.

He scored 3 goals and 23 assists in 143 NHL games played.

Since retiring from playing the game of hockey in 1984, Mike has been an assistant coach for New York Rangers' AHL team (Binghamton Rangers) and Ottawa Senators' AHL team (Binghamton Senators) as well as with the Hartford Wolf Pack. In 2000, Busniuk acquired another Calder Cup with the Wolf Pack, but this time as a coach making it his 5th Calder Cup. His head-coaching career consisted of one year for the Muskegon Fury. Currently (2008), Mike is the assistant coach for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League (Ottawa's affiliate).

Records

 * Only player in AHL history to be a member of four consecutive Calder Cup championship teams (1976–1979)