Amid the NHL lockout, anticipation is high for the start of Hershey Bears training camp on Sunday.

Nobody has a higher anticipation level than free-agent addition Alex Berry.

The winger suffered a compound fracture of his right arm in training camp last year with the Portland Pirates that sidelined him for the entire 2011-12 season.

“I'm just counting the days,” Berry said. “I can't wait for it to start and get out there. It's going to be a real competitive camp. Just get out there and show the coaching staff I haven't missed a beat since last year.

“I'm going to have fun with it, but I've been working hard all summer getting myself ready to go. That's what I missed the most about missing a whole season is just the enjoyment of getting to come to the rink everyday and put on the gear and get with the guys and work hard.”

The ghastly injury came in the wake of an open-ice collision with former Bears defenseman Dean Arsene, Berry said. An artery was severed, his wrist also was dislocated and extensive nerve damage resulted.

“It was a mess,” Berry said. “I almost bled out right on the ice. It severed my whole artery. Blood was just pouring out. The trainers there did a great job getting me clotted up and to the hospital pretty quick.

“It was kind of a freak accident, I guess. It's part of playing the game, though. I'll try to put that behind me and move on and get a fresh start here in Hershey.”

During emergency surgery, Berry said, a metal plate, 25 staples and more than 100 stitches were needed. But when he still didn't have feeling or full mobility in his fingers in December, the 26-year-old began to fear that his playing career might be over.

Nerve surgery in March in Boston proved successful and sensation began to return. Berry was cleared to resume playing hockey in April, started an arduous training program and eventually got a contract with Hershey for 2012-13.

“It was a long road to recovery,” the Danvers, Mass., native said.

“I had a good support system back home to keep me positive and keep me motivated to get back and give it another shot.”

Berry, a 2005 fifth-round draft choice (153rd overall) of the Toronto Maple Leafs out of UMass-Amherst, where he was teammates with Bears rookie T.J. Syner, had a breakout season in 2010-11 with the Norfolk Admirals.

The 6-2, 212-pounder had career highs in goals (14), points (34), penalty minutes (150) and games played (75). The injury stalled that momentum.

Many of Berry's old Norfolk teammates won the Calder Cup in 2011-12. The Tampa Bay Lightning switched their affiliation from Norfolk to Syracuse during the offseason, and the Bears are scheduled to open the regular season on Oct. 13 at Syracuse.

“I was real close to a lot of the guys on that team and the coaching staff,” Berry said. “I kept pretty close tabs on them, talked to them, and I got a chance to see them play a couple times.

“It was pretty amazing what they were able to accomplish. I'm really proud of those guys, but I'm a Bear now and can't wait to play them in the first game and put an end to their [28-game, regular-season winning] streak.”

Berry grew up in a historic house built in 1681.

Danvers is located near Salem, Mass., which is famous for the 17th century Salem witch trials. Some of the hearings were held in Danvers, which used to be known as Salem Village.

“They hung the witches right across the street from where I grew up in Danvers, Mass.,” Berry said. “They've got a big monument over there. There's a lot of history in that part of Massachusetts.”

Berry said the place isn't haunted.

“No ghosts that I know of,” he joked.

NOTEBOOK

Reading (ECHL) extended a tryout agreement to Hershey native Justin Kemmerer. The 25-year-old defenseman, who played collegiately at Bentley University, played in six games for Reading last season.

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