When the Olentangy Liberty hockey team was closing in on the 2023 state title, there wasn’t anyone more excited about the postseason run than Brenden Garrett.

Nicknamed “B-Money” by teammates, coaches, friends and family, Garrett played a vital role as team manager as the Patriots became central Ohio’s first OHSAA hockey champion.

A senior who will celebrate his 19th birthday on Feb. 25, Garrett has faced adversity his entire life. Born with cerebral palsy, which affects the ability to move and maintain balance and posture, he remains upbeat, sharing that mindset with the hockey team.

In turn, the Patriots have been equally willing to help Garrett achieve important milestones, effectively serving as a second family for Brian and Julia Garrett’s son, and giving back to someone whose positivity is on display whether Liberty wins, loses or ties.

“I remain positive because if you’re negative no one wants to be around you,” Brenden Garrett said. “I like being surrounded by people. Everyone has something going on. Mine is just more obvious, but I don’t let it keep me down.”

In 2012, when he was 7, Garrett underwent a then-experimental surgery called selective dorsal rhizotomy, which aided his walking and speech. Before the surgery, he had to wear leg braces and would fall frequently, and his doctors doubted if he would ever participate in sports.

“That surgery helped him walk so much better,” his mother said. “It opened up a lot of opportunities for him. It changed his world.”

Garrett has competed in golf, flag football, basketball, swimming and track and field through Olentangy Schools Special Olympics and joined other school teams, including seeing action in football as an offensive lineman and wide receiver as an eighth grader and freshman. He also serves as a manager for the Liberty boys lacrosse program.

But none of these activities ever matched Garrett's passion for hockey. He was introduced to sled hockey in winter 2022 with the Columbus Blades, an activity that led to him meeting Liberty hockey coach Kevin Alexander.

Watching Garrett and others play sled hockey at Chiller North, Alexander introduced himself to Garrett's father, who was wearing a Liberty cap.

Alexander and Garrett quickly developed a friendship, leading to Garrett becoming Liberty’s first manager. Garrett attends all practices and games.

His relationship with the Patriots provided incentive for Garrett to someday skate upright and become more active with the team. Through the Blue Jackets’ Learn to Skate program at Chiller North, Garrett fulfilled that dream and now practices with the Patriots on Wednesdays.

“I never thought about putting him on skates because he had a hard enough time walking,” Julia Garrett said. “It’s pretty impressive what he’s able to do.”

As part of a ceremonial opening faceoff on senior night Jan. 26 against Olentangy Berlin, Garrett was given the puck and scored a goal that didn't register in the final statistics but was meaningful in other ways.

“Brenden has been a great addition to our team the last couple of years and has been nothing but positive,” Alexander said. “To see him going from sled hockey to skating upright on skates (on) senior night is amazing.”

During games, Garrett stands behind the bench, cheering on the Patriots while wearing a hockey helmet that has a clear face shield. If the Patriots win, the player who Garrett thinks contributed the most to the victory receives a medallion that Garrett wears around his neck.

Garrett earned his first varsity letter and a state championship ring last season.

“That was one of my most memorable moments of high school,” he said. “We all earned that together and had so much fun doing it. ... It was like winning the Super Bowl.”

As Liberty’s head coach since the 2017-18 season, Alexander has been the architect of the Patriots’ rise to becoming a perennial power. Last year’s state title capped off a 39-1-1 season.

Garrett is quick to praise Alexander for his on-ice work with the players and his demeanor.

“Coach is the best coach I’ve ever encountered,” Garrett said. “He accepts me for who I am and treats me like I’m as talented and valued as all the other guys on the team.”

Garrett has also developed close friendships with teammates, including senior forward P.J. Weiss.

“Brenden wanted to learn how to skate, so we helped him start skating upright and backwards,” Weiss said. “Stuff like that is way cooler than guys like us being able to skate because of how much he’s had to go through, especially growing up and having to get surgeries just to be able to walk is really inspiring.”

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The Patriots (21-10-​0-1) are seeded first in the regional tournament and open play Saturday against 16th-seeded Worthington Kilbourne or 18th-seeded Springboro as they begin defense of their state title.

Garrett will attend Ohio State in the fall and join the Transition Options in Postsecondary Settings (TOPS) program, a workforce development certificate program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities that focuses on academics, career development and independent living.

He hopes to someday earn a paid position as an Ohio State men’s hockey manager.

Brian Garrett said his son “would not be where he is today” without the people he has met through hockey.

“Hockey is more than a sport,” Brian said. “It is a community of persons that are genuine, inclusive and all-around good people.”

fdirenna@dispatch.com

@DispatchFrank

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Team manager with cerebral palsy inspires Olentangy Liberty hockey