Tom Laidlaw’s bio is about to change.



Until now, it predominantly featured the following bullet points: The New York Rangers’ 93rd overall pick in the 1978 NHL draft. A veteran of 774 NHL games as a punishing defenseman who amassed 185 points and 795 penalty minutes across 11 seasons in New York and Los Angeles. Named the 87th greatest Ranger in “100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters.”



At 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 25, it will include a new line: “Survivor’s” first Canadian contestant.



A few weeks before CBS announced the cast of its 39th season, entitled Island of the Idols, Laidlaw spoke with The Athletic for a wide-ranging Q&A on everything from how contestants get outfitted in their tribe’s colours to how he prepared for a month of sleeping on bamboo with 19 strangers in Fiji.



How does a 61-year-old Tom Laidlaw get cast on Survivor?



It’s...