Jeff Zorn M.D.
That new job title must have a nice ring to it for the former Prince George Cougar defenceman, this year's winner of the Western Hockey League's alumni achievement academic award.
Now a doctor living in Edmonton, the native of Tisdale, Sask., started began his WHL career with the Edmonton Ice, then played three seasons in Prince George for the Cougars. After a successful stint on the Cats' blueline, he left 14 games into the 1999-2000 season to go to Saskatoon, where he played for the Blades as a 20 year old.
Zorn went on to use his WHL scholarship to attend the University of Alberta, where he played five seasons in the CIS for the Golden Bears. He won Canada West Conference awards as freshman of the year in 2001 and defenceman of the year in 2002, then captured the Dr. Randy Gregg Award as outstanding student athletes in the CIS in 2004. A four-time CIS All-Canadian from 2002-05, Zorn capped his university hockey career with the Golden Bears by winning the CIS championship in 2005.
He graduated from the U of A with a bachelor's degree in 2008 and earned his doctorate in 2009. A specialist in urology, Zorn is in his second year of a five-year residency at the University of Alberta Hospital.
Former Philadelphia Flyers centre Bob Clarke, who played in the WHL in the late 1960s for the Flin Flon Bombers won the WHL's professional hockey achievement award. Clarke was a second-round draft pick of the Flyers in 1969, the year he helped the Bombers win their first WHL championship. He currently serves as the Flyers general manager.
The awards will be handed out at the WHL awards luncheon next Wednesday in Calgary.
The WHL bantam draft is scheduled for next Thursday, also in Calgary.
