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Jack Johnson is having the spring of his life -- on and off the ice.

Colorado's veteran defenseman waited 16 years to finally be playing in the Stanley Cup Final, which the Avalanche lead 1-0 over Tampa Bay heading into Saturday's Game 2.

At the same time, Johnson realized another childhood dream -- graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in general studies.

It was a long -- and somewhat ironic -- road to both achievements. Johnson was drawn toward an education thinking he'd never make it in pro hockey. Turns out, he would reach the pinnacle of both personal and professional success at the same time.

"What did it take me, 18 years [to finish]? Most people are at least a doctor at that point," Johnson joked. "As a little kid, I never really thought I'd be good enough to play in the NHL. I grew up dreaming of playing college hockey at Michigan, I wanted to graduate from there. It meant a lot to me. [To] graduate, [I'm] pretty proud of that."

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/...higan-18-years