Nothing will stop Jack Johnson from representing the United States at the upcoming World Cup of Hockey.
The Columbus Blue Jackets defender saw last season cut short after undergoing shoulder surgery in March, but offseason rehab has nursed him to perfect health ahead of the World Cup.
"I've got my family at home, so I spend a lot of time at home with my wife and my little girl. And then just training and rehab to get my shoulder back to 100 percent, which it is now, so I put in a lot of time on that," Johnson told Andy Brown of BlueJackets.com. "Right now I've got about a month left before World Cup of Hockey, so just making sure I'm in shape for that."
While he's never played in this event, Johnson has represented his country on numerous occasions - most recently as U.S. captain at the 2012 World Championship - and admits the the thrill of wearing his country's colors never wears off.
"I don't think it's ever routine, I've been very fortunate playing a lot of tournaments for the United States," said Johnson. "This was the one tournament that I haven't played in yet, so I'm really cherishing this opportunity.
"There's absolutely nothing routine about it, whenever you get a chance to represent the United States it could be your last, so you try to cherish it, and make it count."
Johnson will compete on the American blue line alongside Dustin Byfuglien, John Carlson, Erik Johnson, Ryan McDonagh, Matt Niskanen, and Ryan Suter this September.
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