WILMINGTON, Mass. (AP) – Patrice Bergeron and Manny Fernandez were back on the ice like rookies on Tuesday morning, hoping to get a head start on the NHL season after sitting out most of 2007-08 with injuries.

“I missed it so much,” Bergeron said after the Boston Bruins’ five-day development camp opened at their practice arena. “The biggest thing I’ve realized is that it is my passion, it is a sport that I love and I can’t wait to get back at it because I love playing the game, it’s great and I realize it’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Although the camp is usually just for rookies and free agents, Bergeron and Fernandez played just 14 games between them last year and were eager to get back on the ice. Bergeron missed most of the season with a concussion; Fernandez had season-ending knee surgery after just four games.

“I went through a lot of emotions during the season,” Fernandez said. “I think frustration at the beginning and then after a while they sort of became my family. I started rooting for them. They had a great run and surprised a lot of people. That’s always good. We also understand that the pro teams here are doing miracles left and right. Hopefully, next year we get a nicer ending and we get by the first round and who knows after that.”

Training camp begins in early September, and both Bergeron and Fernandez figure to be 100 percent when it opens.

“I’m going to try really, really hard,” Fernandez said. “I’ve shown a lot of commitment throughout the season, even though I was hurt and I think this is a big summer for me. From there, we can just ride the season out.”

Bergeron, 22, was a star playmaker for the Bruins until he was lost for the rest of the season after suffering a serious concussion when he was driven head first into the corner boards by Philadelphia’s Randy Jones on Oct. 27, 2007. He skated with the team near the end of the season and in the playoffs, but he was held out of the first-round series against Montreal, when the Bruins lost in seven games.

Bergeron said he expects to be cleared for full contact by the time preseason begins.

Fernandez, 33, was acquired from the Minnesota Wild for Petr Kalus to compete with Tim Thomas and give the Bruins a quality goaltender tandem. But his season ended on Oct. 30.

“It’s been a while,” Fernandez said. “They say it’s like riding a bicycle, I don’t know if that’s true. Hopefully it is. I can just get back in there, play a lot of games in camp and go from there.”

Boston hopes to get more out of both players next season.

The Bruins let backup goalie Alex Auld leave via free agency and sign a two-year deal with the Ottawa Senators. Offensively, the team added only forward Michael Ryder to replace Glen Metropolit, who signed with Philadelphia.

Even though he wasn’t playing, Bergeron was around enough to see the sporting scene in Boston ignite with championships for the Red Sox and Celtics. The Patriots reached the Super Bowl before losing to the New York Giants, and the New England Revolution reached the MLS Cup before losing to the Houston Dynamo.

The only major pro team in Boston that didn’t play for a championship: the Bruins, who haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1972.

“It’s up to us to get to that level,” Bergeron said. “We know that it’s a sports town and there are great teams around us. It’s pretty much a challenge for us and it’s up to us to do it, get the fans back and get them going. There’s only one thing you can do and that’s go out there and play to win.”

AP-ES-07-08-08 1423EDT