°®¶¹app

Much of the ECHL world probably perceives Yanick Turcotte as one thing: a goon. And maybe there was a time that was the case.

°®¶¹appœWhen I first got in the league, I was just focused on running around, making my presence known, being a tough guy,°®¶¹app said Turcotte, 28.

Turcotte hasn°®¶¹app™t abandoned the way of the enforcer. Just last week he was called to the American Hockey League for one game with the Chicago Wolves, , then opened his second game back with the Komets by fighting the Indy Fuel°®¶¹app™s Christopher Cameron. But Turcotte has strived to become a more compete player and it°®¶¹app™s paid dividends for the Komets.

°®¶¹appœHe°®¶¹app™s just a good locker room guy,°®¶¹app teammate Odeen Tufto said with a phrase often repeated by teammates.

°®¶¹appœHe plays honest. I think those guys who play hard and honest and have good energy, they get rewarded.°®¶¹app

Turcotte has been rewarded with two goals and three points in 22 games for the Komets (15-8-1), which may not seem like much until you consider he°®¶¹app™s on pace for a six goals, which would be a career best, and nine points, which would be tied for second most in his eight seasons pro.

But it°®¶¹app™s not so much about stats as Turcotte°®¶¹app™s blue-collar work, using speed to win races for pucks in the corners, hitting opponents and creating room for teammates. While the enforcer on last season°®¶¹app™s team, Daniel Amesbury, struggled to crack the lineup or keep his cool when on the ice, Turcotte has skated a regular shift.

He°®¶¹app™s been a lot more than the guy who racked up 527 penalty minutes, including 40 fights, over 125 games for the ECHL°®¶¹app™s Worcester Railers between 2017 and 2020.

°®¶¹appœAs the game evolved °®¶¹app“ it°®¶¹app™s a lot faster than when I first got in the league eight years ago °®¶¹app“ you°®¶¹app™ve had to be able to play,°®¶¹app Turcotte said. °®¶¹appœYou°®¶¹app™ve got to be able to contribute offensively.°®¶¹app

Coming into this season, Turcotte, a native of Quebec, knew the Komets wanted an elite enforcer but also weren°®¶¹app™t interested in going down the path of last season, committing a roster spot to a player who couldn°®¶¹app™t stay out of the penalty box. He felt he could check, pun intended, all the boxes.

°®¶¹appœA lot of guys know my toughness and know that I can fight and bring that physicality. But I thought coming into this year it was important to bring more offensively,°®¶¹app Turcotte said. °®¶¹appœIt°®¶¹app™s important for our team that I be the enforcer that I am, but also that I bring some sort of offense.

°®¶¹appœEven if it°®¶¹app™s not on the scoresheet, if I can spend some time in the offensive zone °®¶¹app“ be there, hold on to pucks, make some plays, go to the net °®¶¹app“ somehow it°®¶¹app™s going to create some offense. Even if it doesn°®¶¹app™t (benefit) me personally, if I don°®¶¹app™t get a point, maybe it sets up the next line for success.°®¶¹app

There have been times he°®¶¹app™s looked particularly gifted in the offensive end.

He scored against the Iowa Heartlanders by speeding down an odd-man rush to redirect an Anthony Petruzzelli pass, and against the Toledo Walleye with a laser of a shot from the left circle, and against the Allen Americans he set up a Petruzzelli goal in beautiful fashion °®¶¹app“

°®¶¹appœI felt I could beat their (defenseman) in a foot race, which I did. To be honest, I didn°®¶¹app™t see Petey in front of the net °®¶¹app“ I just heard him calling for the puck °®¶¹app“ so I snapped it there and he had a great finish,°®¶¹app Turcotte said.

He°®¶¹app™s also racked up a league-high 109 penalty minutes and earned a one-game suspension for a late-game fracas with the Cincinnati Cyclones°®¶¹app™ Rhett Parsons, though Turcotte avoided a suspension for boarding the Americans°®¶¹app™ Mike Van Unen, a hit that Turcotte later said he regretted because Fort Wayne had a five-goal lead and the referees were more prone to penalize in that situation.

Turcotte has , including once with Amesbury, now with the Kansas City Mavericks, and Saturday°®¶¹app™s slugfest with Cameron in a 5-2 Indy victory. That puts Turcotte halfway to the controversial 10-fight rule; players are suspended one game for the 10th fight and subsequent fights, though it becomes a two-game suspension at the 14-fight mark.

Coach Jesse Kallechy said he hasn°®¶¹app™t even broached the subject with Turcotte of curtailing his fighting. Kallechy believes Turcotte, who has eight games of AHL experience, is savvy enough to know the situation.

°®¶¹appœI trust him to handle himself,°®¶¹app Kallechy said. °®¶¹appœIf he gets to the point where he feels like he needs more than 10, we°®¶¹app™ll just deal with it. I°®¶¹app™m not going to try and control him in a way where he can°®¶¹app™t play his game and do what he needs to do. I°®¶¹app™m always proud of him for how he handles those situations and he certainly knows what his job is. I have a lot of respect for him and what he does.°®¶¹app

So far this season, Turcotte has a done a lot more than fight.