Greenwich Resident To Compete On New Season Of 'Survivor'

GREENWICH, CT — A Greenwich resident and former professional hockey player is set to compete on the newest season of "Survivor" on CBS. Tom Laidlaw, 60, will compete against 19 other contestants on the 39th season of the show, which is subtitled "Island of the Idols."

The "idols" are previous "Survivor" winners, who will mentor the new teams to help them win.

"I know how to build an alliance and win challenges, and then do whatever it takes to win," Laidlaw said on his bio page for the show's website.

Lailaw describes himself as "disciplined, dedicated and stubborn," whose primary motivation for being on the show is "the challenge and desire to win."

Though he is proud to have raised two sons to be strong and independent men, his biggest inspiration in life is his grandfather.

"My grandmother was in a wheelchair most of her life," Lailaw said. "He took care of her until she died, and he died shortly after."

A native of Canada, Laidlaw played as a defenseman for the New York Rangers. He also played for the Los Angeles Kings before leaving the National Hockey League in 1990.

Season 39 of "Survivor" premieres Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 8 p.m. on CBS.