Ex-NHL Defenseman, Olympic Swimmer To Appear On Season 39 Of ‘Survivor’

CBS officially announced the cast for Season 39 (!) of the hit reality competition series “Survivor” on Monday, and two prominent athletes have made the cut.

Former New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Tom Laidlaw and U.S. Olympic swimmer Elizabeth Beisel will both appear on “Survivor: Island of the Idols” which premieres this month. In fact, the pair will start the season on the same tribe.

Laidlaw spent seven seasons with the Rangers in the 1980s before wrapping up his NHL career with the Kings in 1990. The 60-year-old lives by the “True Grit Lifestyle” mantra and fervently promotes it via public speaking engagements and his weekly podcast. (So, we’re sure we’ll hear about this plenty on the show.)

He’s also the first Canadian-born cast member (although he currently resides in Greenwich, Conn.) to appear on the program.

Beisel, 27, is a three-time Olympian, receiving silver and bronze medals during the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The Rhode Island native is a newer fan of the game, according to host Jeff Probst, who told the Hollywood Reporter “the audience is going to love her.”

(You can check out their cast photos here.)

Season 39 of “Survivor” premieres on Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.