Thomas John Laidlaw (born April 15, 1958) is a Canadian retired ice hockey defenceman. Laidlaw started his National Hockey League career with the New York Rangers in 1980, arriving from Northern Michigan University. He also played for the Los Angeles Kings. He left the NHL after the 1990 season. He played 1 season for the Phoenix Roadrunners of the IHL before retiring from hockey. Afterward, he became the colour commentator on Kings' radio broadcasts. He currently runs a sports management company in Rye Brook, New York. Laidlaw is also a motivational speaker and frequently uses his mantra of living a "True Grit Life." Laidlaw promotes the "True Grit Life" through public speaking engagements and weekly podcast episodes.
Thomas John Laidlaw (born April 15, 1958) is a Canadian retired ice hockey defenceman. Laidlaw started his National Hockey League career with the New York Rangers in 1980, arriving from Northern Michigan University. He also played for the Los Angeles Kings. He left the NHL after the 1990 season. He played 1 season for the Phoenix Roadrunners of the IHL before retiring from hockey. Afterward, he became the colour commentator on Kings' radio broadcasts. He currently runs a sports management company in Rye Brook, New York. Laidlaw is also a motivational speaker and frequently uses his mantra of living a "True Grit Life." Laidlaw promotes the "True Grit Life" through public speaking engagements and weekly podcast episodes. Laidlaw competed on Survivor: Island of the Idols, the 39th season of the CBS series Survivor. He was the first Canadian-born person to be a contestant on the show. In the book 100 Ranger Greats by Russ Cohen, John Halligan, and Adam Raider, the authors ranked Laidlaw No. 87 on the all-time list of New York Rangers.