Max Willman has taken quite the path to make it to the NHL. And it has brought him into the Flyers starting lineup for the opening game of the season. But it was a long journey before he found himself wearing the orange and black.
Willman played his high school hockey in his hometown state of Massachusetts. After years at Barnstable High and then a breakout season at Williston Northampton School where he posted 21 goals and 44 points, Willman was headed to Brown University for the next four years. The standout performance also allowed got him drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
A devastating ACL injury could’ve ended it all in his senior year at Brown where he appeared in just nine games. But the NCAA granted him a rare fifth year of eligibility as he attended Boston University as a graduate student. He was back to square one after that, however, as the Sabres would never go on to offer him an entry level contract. He had no NHL or even AHL deal at that point.
That’s where the Reading Royals came in. Willman signed an ECHL contract just a few weeks before the season. He posted nine goals and 25 points in 20 games. That came after initially spending the beginning of the season as a healthy scratch. When he did get into the lineup, though, he made that most of it. His strong played earned him a professional tryout contract with the Phantoms. He grabbed three goals and nine assists in 24 games.
Willman would later turn that into an official AHL contract in February of 2020. And the Flyers signed him to a two-year, two way contract that kicked in this season.
Now, he has a spot in the opening night lineup for Philadelphia. There’s a lot of excitement for Willman and his family as his journey has finally brought him to the top, even if it’s just temporary.
"“A lot of emotions when I got the notice I was coming up and playing tonight. So that was pretty special. Definitely just excited to get out there and play. A lot of excitement, not too many nerves yet. But I’m sure those will come a little bit later. Just excited for myself and for my family to get down here and enjoy it with me.”"
The reality of playing in his first NHL game hasn’t quite set in yet for Willman. It’s been a dream of his, of course. But the last year or two is where he truly began to make it a real goal of his. He was taken back when he got the official notice that he would be in the lineup. Brent Flahr, the Flyers Vice President/Assistant GM, was the one to give him the news.
He’ll be on the left side with Nate Thompson and Nicolas Aube-Kubel when he makes his debut against the Vancouver Canucks.