With the NHL draft in the rear view mirror and an exciting new Owen Sound Attack season on the horizon, it seemed like a great time to catch up with Captain Pierce Mbuyi. I chatted with Pierce who had just returned home from a few weeks in Pittsburgh as one of the Pittsburgh Penguins 2026 draft picks. Pierce was kind enough to chat about the combine, the draft and his goals for this season before trading his skates for flip flops and a well-deserved week at the cottage.
First of all, obviously, congratulations on being drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Thank you.
Can you describe that moment when you heard your name called?
It’s something that I’ve been dreaming about my whole life, and it honestly just doesn’t feel real. Just to hear my name called there… yeah, I can’t even really describe the feeling. It was super awesome. I’m so happy I got to spend it with my family there.
And what was the draft itself like? All the hype around it, the setup, the couches…
Yeah, it was awesome. I’m pretty sure the couches were a new thing they did this year for the first-rounders which was pretty cool. The setup was awesome. It’s something that I’ve only seen on TV and I’ve only ever dreamed of being there. So to actually be there was unreal.
Tell us about what actually happens after you’re selected?
After I got picked and did the formal stuff on stage, I went backstage and met up with the Ruck twins first. I got to see them and then I got a call from Kyle Dubas and the coach, so that was pretty cool. Then I did some media stuff and went upstairs to the suite. There weren’t too many of the staff there, but I hung out with a couple of the guys. My family went up to the booth, and then we had to make plans because I was leaving for Pittsburgh the next morning. Crazy.
I saw some photos of you with the Ruck twins. Have you played with them before?
Yeah. I met them at the U17s first. They weren’t on my team then but then I played with them at the Hlinka Gretzky.
How excited are you to be joining the organization with them?
Oh, super excited. Obviously, it’s nice to have guys that I know already there with me. I think that’ll make me feel a little bit more comfortable. Same with their fourth-round pick, Parker Von Richter. I’m great buddies with him. When I saw his name get called it was awesome. I didn’t even know he was at the draft, and then I saw him on stage.
Did you have your hockey bag with you, or how do you end up going straight to Pittsburgh?
Well, since I was in Buffalo, I just drove back home and then flew out the next morning from Toronto.
Nice. And then how was development camp?
It was good. It started right on Sunday. We did a little bit of testing, and then it was a workout, and a skate every day. We’d do something fun afterward like play pickleball. We did a community event—just little things like that. The intensity on the ice there is obviously different than it is here in the summer. So I felt a little rough off the start, but it was good, and it was a lot of fun.
Awesome. I heard you made an impact in some of the scrimmages. How did you feel those went?
Yes, by the end of the week I was feeling a lot better. By the time the games came around, I was feeling good out there and making plays. I think our team was a really good team. Honestly, everyone at the camp was great, but I think we had a great team, and I think that helped a lot as well.
Very cool. So what happens next? You’re doing your own thing now, but then you’ll be back down there for training camp?
I stuck around an extra week in Pittsburgh just to train. I got back here on Friday, and now I’ll stay in touch with the coaches and the staff there. I’ll go back to my trainer here, and I’m skating here. Actually, one of the guys who works for the Penguins—well, two of them—are from here, so I can skate with them whenever I need to. They can help with my development here as well, rather than me always having to go to Pittsburgh, which is nice. So I’ve got some local guys helping me.
If we rewind a little to the Combine, I know you did really well in all the testing. What was that whole experience like, including the team interviews?
The Combine was awesome. I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was super chill. All the interviews… I didn’t really get any crazy questions or anything like that. Not like what happens to some guys. Mine were all pretty straightforward and pretty simple. Like you said, the testing was good. I think it was a great experience. It was cool to meet all the Europeans and all those guys that you don’t get to see too often.
And all three of the Attack guys performed really well. Were you surprised at that?
No, I think Plates (Andy Plater) had us all prepared the right way, so I think we went in there ready.
Awesome. Did you have any idea, when the Combine wrapped up, that Pittsburgh was interested?
To be honest, I had no idea where I was going to go. I think most of my interviews were pretty much the same, so I wasn’t too sure. Maybe I talked to Pittsburgh a little bit more. I talked to them again after the Combine, but I still wasn’t too sure that they were going to take me.
If we go back to the Attack, I understand you’ve had a chance to meet up with Tyler and the new coach. Maybe fill us in on how you guys met up and how that went.
Yeah. I met with them in Toronto. We went out for lunch that time. I also saw them at the NHL draft. I think they have a great plan. They don’t want next year to be a development year or a rebuild year. They want to go for it, which is awesome, and that’s what I want to do. They’re obviously both super young, but I think they’ve got so much energy. They’re both super smart and intelligent, and they know coming into it exactly what they want to do. I’m super excited to start working with them.
What are your first impressions of where the team is headed in this whole new direction?
I think we’ve got a great core of guys coming back. Obviously, last year ended not how we wanted it to, so it’ll be important for us to get into training camp, be ready, and set the culture straight from day one. We don’t want anything like last year to happen again, so we want to set that straight right from the jump. We’ve added a couple of Euros. Bernat’s a great player. I’m super excited to have him coming and obviously adding Leenders is great. I think we’re headed in the right direction.
Awesome. I know Attack fans were really excited to hear you were returning. How does that decision get made? Was there any point you thought you were going to Penn State, or with all the changes were you excited to be here?
My plan was always to come back to the OHL. I wanted to come back to Owen Sound. I love Owen Sound. I feel like last year just wasn’t how I wanted it to end, and I wouldn’t have been happy if that was my last experience in junior hockey. Coming back with everything new we’ve got going on, I think it could be a great year. I’m just super excited to get back.
Obviously it’s pretty exciting to be able to wear the “C” from the beginning this year.
For sure.
You’ve chosen to be here, and you’ve chosen to lead this team. How do you set that tone to keep things positive and exciting right from the beginning?
I think it’s about working with everyone, talking with the group, talking with the coaching staff, and setting our non-negotiables. We want people who want to be here, so it’s about getting everyone to buy in right from the start. Working with the other leaders, like Crawf (Jake Crawford) and everyone else, just to get the group as dialled in and as close as possible. I think it’s super important that we’re a tight group of brothers. That’ll go a long way, especially late in the season. I don’t think what happens on the ice is everything. It’s super important for us to be bonded off the ice as well. We just want to get that established right from the jump.
What kind of non-hockey fun do you have planned for the rest of the summer?
This week I’m heading up to the cottage—actually two different cottages—for basically a full week. So that’s kind of my vacation, my little getaway. Then I’ll be right back to work.
Thanks and have a great time at the cottage.
Thank you. I appreciate it.
This season’s player interviews are sponsored by Burke’s Brick Work. Burke’s Brick Work is a full-service masonry company offering new home construction, as well as restoration work. We service both Grey and Bruce County. We work with all types of materials – brick, Block, and stone. We are available by phone at (289) 200-8290, by email at burkesbrickwork@gmail.com You can learn more at our website at https://www.burkesbrickwork.com and you can follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/burkesbrickwork and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/burkes_brick_work