Former NHL defenceman Tom Laidlaw to be on upcoming season of Survivor

Former NHL defenceman Tom Laidlaw will make a little bit of history this fall when the 39th season of Survivor gets underway.

The Brampton, Ont., native will become the first Canadian and first NHL player player to ever appear on the hit reality show.

Laidlaw played 10 seasons in the NHL with the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings from 1980-1990, netting 25 goals, 164 points and 717 penalty minutes in 705 games.

Since retiring from hockey, Laidlaw worked as a radio colour commentator for the Kings before starting his own sports management company in New York. But his real passion in life is now motivating others.

“All my life I have led the True Grit Life without really understanding how much I could help others,” Laidlaw shared on his on his personal website True Grit Life.

If you’re wondering what exactly it means to live a “True Grit Life,” Laidlaw has you covered.

“I get up every morning at 3:30 a.m. My bed is made perfectly before I leave the room every day. At 4 a.m. I am out the door on my morning march. At 4:30 a.m. I am back in preparing to go to the gym.

“Fitness, motivation, discipline, dedication, passion and integrity are not just words I read about, but words I live my life by. If I am going to do it, I am going to do it all out. I get the most out of every day, I get the most out of every step on my march, I get the most out of every rep at the gym, and I give the people in my life a full version of myself every day. The people I love, I love with a passion and I let them know it every day.”

It sounds like he’s the perfect candidate for a show that pushes mental and physical toughness.

On the Survivor cast page, Laidlaw explains why he thinks he has what it takes to walk away from the island with the $1 million grand prize.

“I know how to build an alliance and win challenges and then do whatever it takes to win.”

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