Max Willman
Maxwell Willman | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 13, 1995 Barnstable, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey forward |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Known for | Ice hockey forward, NHL player |
Maxwell Willman (born February 13, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey forward currently an unrestricted free agent. His latest affiliation was with the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League (AHL), under contract with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). Willman was drafted in the fifth round, 121st overall, by the Buffalo Sabres during the 2014 NHL entry draft.
Early life
Hailing from Barnstable, Massachusetts, Willman started skating at three years old and participated in local youth hockey before joining the varsity squad at Barnstable High School. He led his team in scoring for two seasons and captained the squad in 2012–13, playing a key role in securing three straight Old Colony League titles and accumulating 52 wins over regular seasons. Despite his notable high school achievements, he did not receive NCAA Division I scholarship offers and initially intended to enroll at Quinnipiac University as a non-athlete.
Instead, Willman opted for a postgraduate year at Williston Northampton School, a private prep school known for its competitive hockey program. Serving as captain and leading center on the top line, he tallied 21 goals and 44 points, which significantly boosted his prospects for a professional career.
Amateur
Selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round, 121st overall, of the 2014 NHL entry draft, Willman had already committed to playing NCAA hockey with Brown University. He marked his NCAA debut by scoring his first goal, helping Brown secure a 4–2 victory against the United States Military Academy.
During the 2016–17 season, Willman achieved personal bests with 11 goals and 26 points over 31 games. However, his following season (2017–18) was limited to nine games due to a knee injury. This setback granted him an additional year of eligibility, prompting him to enroll as a graduate student at Boston University and compete for the Terriers.
Professional
Following his tenure at Boston University, Willman was not signed by the Sabres. He subsequently joined the Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliated with the Philadelphia Flyers. By the conclusion of the 2019–20 campaign, he advanced to the Flyers’ top minor league team, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Willman made his NHL debut during Philadelphia’s 2021–22 home opener versus the Vancouver Canucks, stepping in amid roster limitations caused by travel restrictions and injuries. He recorded his first NHL goal on December 10, 2021, contributing to a 4–3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.
After four seasons within the Flyers organization, Willman entered free agency and remained unsigned through the offseason. He accepted a professional tryout (PTO) contract with the New Jersey Devils for preseason camp and secured a one-year, two-way deal on October 7, 2023. Subsequently placed on waivers and clearing them, he was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, to begin the 2023–24 season. Willman was recalled by New Jersey on November 4 and netted his first goal for the Devils on November 5 during a 4–2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks.
On May 7, 2024, approaching free agency status once again, Willman inked a one-year, two-way contract extension with the New Jersey Devils.
Career statistics
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2014–15 | Brown University | ECAC | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Brown University | ECAC | 29 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Brown University | ECAC | 31 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Brown University | ECAC | 9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Boston University | HE | 36 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Reading Royals | ECHL | 20 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Lehigh Valley Phantoms | AHL | 24 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Lehigh Valley Phantoms | AHL | 30 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 41 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Lehigh Valley Phantoms | AHL | 34 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Lehigh Valley Phantoms | AHL | 54 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | Utica Comets | AHL | 33 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 18 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Utica Comets | AHL | 69 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL career totals | 68 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||