He played senior hockey with his hometown Souris team and with Brandon from 1923 to 1925. He then signed with the Regina Capitals of the Western Canada Hockey League in 1925 and played with the team as it moved to become the Portland Rosebuds in 1925-26. When the league folded in 1926 the Rosebuds were purchased by the new Chicago Blackhawks team. Townsend played five games for Chicago and score no points. That was the extent of his NHL career.