Mike Busniuk facts for kids

Michael Busniuk (born December 13, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Michael is known for being a strong defender in hockey. He was picked by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1971 NHL Draft. Michael played for the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL. He also spent eight seasons in the AHL.

Michael Busniuk holds a special record in the AHL. He is the only player to win the Calder Cup four times in a row (from 1976 to 1979). He won five Calder Cups as a player in total. Later, he won a sixth Calder Cup as a coach.

Playing Career

Michael Busniuk started playing junior ice hockey with the Fort William Canadians. In his last year of junior hockey (1970-71), he joined the Fort William Hurricanes. They made it to the 1970 Memorial Cup, which is a big championship for junior hockey teams.

After junior hockey, Michael played college hockey for the University of Denver Pioneers. He also studied to become a physical education teacher. He was the team captain in his final year (1973–74). His team made it to the "Final Four" (a championship semi-final) three times while he was there.

Starting Professional Hockey

After college, Michael began his professional hockey career. He joined the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, a team in the AHL. This team was connected to the Montreal Canadiens. In the 1975–76 season, he played for the Beauce Jaros in the NAHL. His team was strong but lost in the finals. After that, he played one playoff game with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. They won the 1976 Calder Cup. The Calder Cup is the championship trophy for the AHL. Michael and the Voyageurs won the Calder Cup again in 1977.

Joining the NHL

In October 1977, Michael signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. He was sent to their AHL team, the Maine Mariners. The Mariners won the Calder Cup in 1978 and 1979. This made Michael the only player to win four Calder Cups in a row!

A few games into the 1979–80 season, Michael was called up to play for the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL. The NHL is the top professional hockey league. He helped the Flyers reach the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals. The Stanley Cup is the biggest trophy in hockey. The Flyers lost to the New York Islanders in six games. Michael played for the Flyers for two seasons, from 1979 to 1981. In his NHL career, he scored 3 goals and had 23 assists in 143 games. He also had 297 penalty minutes.

Later Playing Years

After his time in the NHL, Michael returned to the Maine Mariners for the 1981–82 season. For the next three seasons, he played in both the AHL and in Europe. He played for HC Brunico in Italy. Michael won his fifth Calder Cup with the Mariners in the 1983–84 season. He shares the record for most Calder Cups won as a player with a few other hockey legends.

Coaching Career

After his playing career, Michael Busniuk became a coach. He started as the head coach for the Tri-City Americans in the 1991–92 season. He then became an assistant coach for the New York Rangers' AHL team, the Binghamton Rangers. He stayed with this team for four seasons. When the team moved and became the Hartford Wolf Pack, he stayed with them for five more seasons. In 2000, as an assistant coach with the Hartford Wolf Pack, Michael won his sixth Calder Cup. This time, he won it as a coach!

He also coached the Muskegon Fury in 2002-03. From 2003 to 2010, he was an assistant coach for the Binghamton Senators, another AHL team.

Later, Michael returned to his hometown of Thunder Bay. He coached the Lakehead Thunderwolves university team. He also taught at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, a school for First Nations students in Thunder Bay. In 2013, Michael went back to Brunico, Italy, to coach HC Pustertal Wölfe. This was the same team he played for in Italy years earlier.