Toby Ducolon: A name synonymous with Vermont success
ST. ALBANS, Vt. (BVM) — Bellows Free Academy (BFA) has had one of the most successful boys hockey programs in Division I for the past three decades. The man at the head of this program is Toby Ducolon. A fixture in Vermont sports, Ducolon has been present in the state’s hockey history for almost four decades.
Ducolon was once a highly rated recruit for the Bobwhites, helping the team win back-to-back championships in 1982 and 1983. His senior season included a 64-point campaign, while coming up just short of winning a third straight state championship. With Ducolon’s part in two state titles, the Bobwhites’ championship total raised to nine after the 1983 season.
After finishing up his high school career, Ducolon committed to the University of Vermont (UVM). There he totaled 84 points in his four years with the program. In 1988, as a senior for the Catamounts, Ducolon was selected as the team’s MVP. That same season, he helped lead UVM to the ECAC Semifinals along with the school’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Following graduation from BFA, Ducolon was selected with the 50th pick by the St. Louis Blues in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He was taken just before legendary Montreal Canadiens goalie, Patrick Roy. After his collegiate career, Ducolon would go on to play for the Peoria Rivermen, the Blues’ affiliate team in the International Hockey League (IHL), for two seasons. In 135 games with the Riverman, Toby Ducolon finished with 75 points.
His playing career in the IHL concluded following the 1989-90 season, Ducolon then went into coaching. It only felt right that he would go back to coach his alma mater, the place that helped him develop into the player he became. In 1990, Toby Ducolon was named head coach of the BFA boys hockey team. He coached his first state championship team the next season.
In 2020, the Bobwhites finished the regular season with a 19-4 record and went into the playoffs as the No. 2 seed. BFA rolled through the Division I playoffs and captured the school’s 19th state championship title with a 4-1 win over Stowe.
Under Ducolon’s 30-year coaching tenure at BFA, the Bobwhites have now won eight state titles, including back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017. BFA has been a mainstay in the boys Division I hockey playoffs during his coaching career, making it to 13 championship games.
In addition to another state championship ring, Ducolon will enter the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2020 on Oct. 24 – a fitting honor for someone who has encapsulated a great career in the state. He will be enshrined along with nine other Vermont sports fixtures.
