He played for the Los Angeles Kings from 1986 to 1990. At Northern Michigan he was named to the All-CCHA First Team in 1978-79 and in 1989-80. Laidlaw was also named to the All-NCAA All-Tournament team in 1980. He became a broadcaster for the Kings and runs a sports management company. In 2019 he became the first Canadian born person to compete on the reality TV series Survivor. He is also a motivational speaker who uses the phrase True Grit Life.