Checking In: Max Willman

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ALLENTOWN, Pa. - After the American Hockey League (AHL) put the  2019-20 season on hold and later canceled the remainder of the campaign, Max Willman headed home to Barnstable, MA to spend time with family.

While the time in Cape Cod was well spent, the ongoing pandemic and uncertainty regarding access to training facilities and ice to resume skating led Willman to make the decision to leave home and, with his girlfriend, move early in advance of the upcoming season.

"We thought we kind of needed to get our own space, so we ended up actually moving to Allentown," Willman told InsideAHLHockey.com before the holiday. "We've been here about two months now, settling in and getting the apartment squared away, just hanging out now."

Willman's move back into town has allowed him to use the facilities at PPL Center to workout and train for the 2020-21 season, where he isn't alone. Still, the pandemic hasn't made it easy for Willman and others in the Lehigh Valley to have access to ice.

"There is some ice in the area we've been skating at with Greg Carey and some of the other guys in the area," Willman said, explaining, "I think actually now some of the rinks have shut down a little bit since there has been a spike in some cases, so that's been on pause, but [I'm] still in the gym working out and staying in shape."

All in all, Willman appears to be making the most of the extended offseason - showing the initiative to move into town early and get a head start on settling in before the upcoming season.

A little lost in last season's overall disappointing showing by the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Willman's emergence in mid-January was one of few bright spots in what was mostly a season to forget for the Flyers' AHL affiliate.

If you remove his first seven appearances, which we will call the two-week adjustment period, Willman finished the season with nine points in 17 games in his first AHL action.

Perhaps more importantly, Willman's strong play on a professional tryout contract (PTO) earned himself a two-year AHL contract with the Phantoms. Not having to worry about free agency in the middle of a pandemic with many unknowns has allowed Willman to focus on improving upon his first AHL stint.

"Definitely didn't see this coming, but having that [two-year] contract go through this year is a relief looking back on it now," Willman said last Friday. "I know some guys are in a little different position, not knowing what's happening."

Two days prior to Willman's scheduled chat with InsideAHLHockey.com, the Phantoms' ECHL affiliate Reading Royals - where Willman got his start in pro hockey last season - opted out of the ECHL's 2020-21 season. Another possible option for Willman to train - and maybe even play in some games - now out of the question.

"It's definitely a bummer. It stinks for those guys. I was definitely looking forward to them starting up, and I was hoping to get to play a few games with them while we are waiting." Willman replied, adding, "I know some of those guys are starting to reach out to some of the teams in the south to get on a team and just play and make some money. It's definitely bad news, you don't like to see that."

For now, Willman is back to doing what he has been for the last six-plus months.

"That's definitely it, finding that balance," Willman said when asked about his off-season training and trying not to over train. "I enjoy working out, so it's not a chore for me. Whether it's a bike ride, or just a workout. It's been good. Keeps me busy. Gets me out of the house, which has been nice."

As for what he's trying to fine-tune in advance of the AHL's return to play, Willman said there wasn't anything too specific.

"Just my overall understanding of the game at the pro level," he responded. "Learning from my time with the Phantoms, looking at some film from last year and kind of just picking and choosing where I can be better."

Lifestyle Vlogs, Fashion, Travel, Fitness???

While his focus is obviously on staying in shape and being ready for hockey's return, Willman also appears on a popular lifestyle YouTube channel that boasts quite a large following - his girlfriend Gretchen Geraghty's lifestyle vlogs, fashion, travel, fitness.

"It's a lot of fun looking back on some of the videos she makes and having those memories we have together saved," Willman said of his girlfriend's ever-popular and growing channel. It's all in good fun.

Geraghty's YouTube channel has over 350,000 subscribers and is inching toward the half-million mark. While Willman is working his way up the pro hockey ladder, Geraghty is a rising star in her own right.

"Yeah, you could say that," Willman said with a laugh, when asked about what it's like dating and living with a celebrity. "No, it's great. It's a lot of fun. She definitely works hard at it and does a great job," he added.

While the premise of the channel is a lot about her lifestyle and everyday life, Willman appears in the videos semi-regularly. Geraghty refers to him as a "special guest".

"I'm in them quite a bit," Willman said.

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