Buswell was captain of the Canadiens during the 1938–39 season. He started out in senior hockey in Montreal and then joined the Chicago Shamrocks of the American Hockey Association in 1931-32. Buswell played for the Detroit Red Wings for the next three seasons. He was then traded to the Montreal Canadiens where he played for five seasons (1935-36 through 1939-40). He completed his career with one season (1940-41) with the intermediate Joliette Cyclones. In the NHL Buswell played in 368 games and scored 10 goals and 40 assists.