Owen Sound Attack forward Pierce Mbuyi is the Emms Family Award winner as the Ontario Hockey League’s rookie of the year.
Mbuyi led all rookies in the league with 29 goals and 52 points. He becomes the first player in Owen Sound’s OHL history to win the award.
“It is a huge honour to be named OHL Rookie of the Year,” Mbuyi says in a release. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, coaches and everyone behind the scenes in Owen Sound. I want to thank my coaches for their trust and belief in me, giving me so much opportunity to play every night. I also want to thank my billets Jason and Shirra for welcoming me into their home and treating me as one of their own. Lastly, I want to thank all my friends and family back home for all their support, I really couldn’t have done it without them.”
Mbuyi, 17, set a new “true rookie” scoring record in Owen Sound OHL history in his first season in the league, putting up 52 points to etch his name in the team’s record books. His 29 goals were also second all-time among Owen Sound OHL rookies in an age-16 season.
A scoring forward, Mbuyi joined the Attack after being selected seventh overall in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection.
“We are incredibly proud of what Pierce has been able to accomplish this season and to be acknowledged as the OHL Rookie of the Year is outstanding,” Attack General Manager Dale DeGray says in a release. “With some of the players we’ve had come through Owen Sound, it’s hard to believe that Pierce is the first Attack recipient of this award. It speaks volumes to how Pierce was able to perform this season with such a young team. His skill and effort was certainly noticeable from the very start, as you could tell from the crowd’s reaction when he scored a goal. Congratulations Pierce, it’s a tremendous accomplishment.”
According to the OHL, the league’s general managers voted for the rookie of the year. Teams had to submit one nominee, and GMs could not vote for the player for their own team. Mbuyi won the vote, and Windsor Spitfires forward Ethan Belchetz finished second.
