A native of Minnesota, Baumgartner played high school hockey there before attending the University of North Dakota.
Mike Baumgartner played his amateur hockey at the University of North Dakota[1] and was drafted in the 5th round by the Chicago Black Hawks.
After two years in the Central Hockey League (CHL) playing for the Dallas Blackhawks, Mike was traded to the Atlanta Flames for Lynn Powis on August 30, 1973 [2] After a 43-point season with the Omaha Knights of the CHL, the Flames traded Baumgartner to the Montreal Canadiens for cash.
Before playing a game with Montreal, Baumgartner was sold to the expansion Kansas City Scouts on August 22, 1974 [3] Mike made his NHL debut for the Scouts at Maple Leaf Gardens against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 9, 1974 and played his final NHL game on December 14, 1974 against the Vancouver Canucks suffering a career ending eye injury.
(Icing on the Plains: The Rough Ride of Kansas City's NHL Scouts, p. 108, Troy Treasure, Balboa Press)