Misery over, Berisha hopes for 'Riders future

CEDAR RAPIDS - He didn't hit the ice until everyone else was off it Sunday afternoon.

Avni Berisha did a few up-and-down skating sprints in full uniform, then spaced out six pucks and weaved aggressively between them. This was the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders defenseman's tryout camp experience.

Not a fun one.

"I almost feel kind of guilty because guys are doing 300-meter sprints, and I'm just sitting there," Berisha said. "You feel like you're not giving anything. Being able to see the guys is great, but not being able to play is the worst, especially after last year. I know the feeling of just having to watch the guys play and not being able to do anything. Being here and starting that all over again is not really the way you want it. But you've just got to keep your head up and stay positive."

Consider all of his trials and tribulations last season, and you'd understand if he has difficulty doing that. The 18-year-old from Doylestown, Pa., tore his rotator cuff in October, rehabbed the injury but suffered a concussion in a December game and subsequent post concussion syndrome.

He eventually recovered but woke up one night later in the winter with excruciating pain in his mouth that sent him to the hospital emergency room. He had surgery to remove part of his gum and extract a wisdom tooth.

Two weeks after, Berisha was doing conditioning drills in practice in hopes of finally getting back into the lineup, but lost an edge and wiped out sprinting around the net, going skate first into the end boards. It was a fractured right fibula.

"That was my year," Berisha smiled.

A year of eight pointless games and seemingly more medical issues than that. Three-plus months of rehab on his leg ends this week, and last week he was cleared by doctors to begin skating again.

RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson invited Berisha to come to Cedar Rapids this weekend to be part of the four-day camp. Well, as much a part of it as he physically could.

Things concluded Sunday with a "Top Prospects Game" of 42 top players at the camp, as evaluated by Carlson and the Riders' coaching staff.

"I'm really blessed to be here," Berisha said. "(Carlson) could have said 'Well, it's time for you to go.' That's the nature of the beast."

He's fully aware that still could eventually happen. The RoughRiders have a "conditioning" camp in July that between 40 to 50 players will attend.

Per United States Hockey League rule, the club must be down to 30 players on its main roster and another 18 on its affiliate roster by July 10. Camp for the 2013-14 season then begins in September.

Berisha knows he's got a lot of work to do to catch back up to everyone else. But he figures he's already been through the hard part.

"I'm just going to work 10 times harder, just keep going," he said. "Coming into camp behind is definitely not something I want to do. Especially with the competition in this camp, how good it was this year. A lot of skilled young guys. I know that no spot is safe. I think that keeps you motivated, knowing your spot is not guaranteed."

With all he's been through, there's a large part of you that hopes Berisha somehow keeps his spot.