MANCHESTER -- Once the stitches are removed from a gash on his right cheek, Rich Clune will have matching scars on each side of his face. They are markings of a hockey player, a warrior, a good teammate.

Yes, the fourth-year Monarchs forward does fight, but don't label him a one-dimensional player or “enforcer.” Clune, who had two assists in his second NHL game against Colorado last season, serves a variety of roles from point producer (three goals, four assists) to strong forechecker and overall tough guy.

He fought Saturday night at Worcester, received a cut to the face, and returned to assist the game-winning goal scored by Slava Voynov as Manchester beat Worcester, 2-1.

“It can really change the momentum of a game and fire your team up. To see another guy go out there and put his well-being on the line, it can be inspiring,” Clune, a 5-foot-10, 207-pounder, said after practice Tuesday. “At times, too, it can be demoralizing. If you see your teammate get beat up or maybe it's not a good fight, it can take away from the game.”

The Bruins turned around their season with the help of Shawn Thornton, who seemed to jump-start the defending champs by pummelling opponents and elevating the team's energy level, leading to a five-game win streak. Look for similar scenes by Clune and teammate Justin Johnson, who are most likely to drop the gloves for the Monarchs.

“Standing up for a teammate, there's no better feeling than after a fight when you're looking over at your bench, and you hear the fans cheering for you because you put yourself on the line,” said Clune, a 24-year-old Toronto native.

Every fight, however, takes a physical and emotional toll.

This summer, three deaths of former NHL enforcers — Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak — raised questions about the job pressure, concussions and long-term effects of being a fighter. In August, Rypien, who had a history of depression, according to reports, was found dead at his home in Canada.

“It was sad hearing about those three. I think fighting definitely didn't help, but I don't think it's the main cause,” Clune said. “All those guys were very tough, but there was probably a part inside of them or a voice in their head, and they felt they had to go out and prove themselves every day. It's similar to how I've felt.”

Clune and Rypien fought during the NHL playoffs in 2010, and it didn't end well for the Kings rookie.

“He ended up grabbing me and laying a beating on me. My season ended. It just ate me up inside. I'm sure at the same time, he was in a bad place himself,” said Clune, who leads the American Hockey League with 74 penalty minutes. “I can empathize with the anxiety and stress. I've had my own struggles, too. Since my teenage years of junior hockey and my first few years of pro, I didn't deal with things as well. I went through some of my own challenges.”

Video -- Rich Clune on his many roles:

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WEEKEND AHEAD: The third-place Monarchs (7-9-0-1) again battle division foe Worcester (5-4-0-2) on Friday, hosting the Sharks at 7 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Arena. Last weekend, Manchester gave up a season-high 47 shots on goal at Worcester but still pulled off the 2-1 win as Jeff Zatkoff made 46 saves.

Fans are counting down the minutes until Saturday night's “Mullets in November” promotion against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (9-3-1-1). The first 3,000 fans will receive mullet wigs and mustaches. Game time is 7 p.m.

Staff writer Kevin Gray is filling in for Monarchs beat writer Ian Clark. His email address is kgray@unionleader.com. Check out his "Gray Matter" blog here.