Record Pittsburgh crowd celebrates Stanley Cup

Parade for fifth title attracts an estimated 650,000 people.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Stanley Cup championship, the first an NHL team has won backto-back in almost 20 years, spawned by far the biggest victory parade of any of the city’s championships.

An estimated 650,000 people turned out along a downtown parade route that ended with a rally at Point State Park, city public works and public safety officials said Wednesday. A sunny day with temperatures in the 80s didn’t hurt.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the crowd was the largest in Pittsburgh history, including the Penguins’ Stanley Cup parade in 2009 and the Steelers’ Super Bowl parades in 2006 and 2009.

Some fans lined up Tuesday night, and most waited several hours for the parade to start.

“These guys are fierce competitors,” coach Mike Sullivan told the crowd from a stage in the triangular park formed by the confluence of the city’s three rivers. “They just know how to win.”

Roughly 400,000 fans attended last year’s celebration, which was the biggest for any of the team’s Stanley Cup championships to that point.

The Penguins won the Cup on Sunday against the Predators with a 2-0 win in Game 6. And judging from signs and chants from the crowd, this championship was sweetened by the adversity the team overcame.

Playoff MVP and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was knocked out for the better part of two games with a concussion against the Capitals, and the Penguins played without top defenseman Kris Letang, who had neck surgery before the playoffs.

As the players took the stage to PPG Paints Arena announcer Ryan Mill’s introductions, fans also learned that Ian Cole, another defenseman, played through a broken hand and broken ribs. And Brian Bonino, who broke his leg blocking a shot but still finished Game 2 of the finals before missing the rest, hobbled around on crutches while taking selfies with fans.

Phil Kessel, a fan favorite since the Penguins acquired him from Toronto two seasons ago, drew some of the biggest cheers.

The Penguins also won the Cup in 1991 and 1992. They became the first team to repeat as champions since the Red Wings in 1997-98.

GENE J. PUSKAR / AP Associated Press Penguins captain Sidney Crosby shares the Stanley Cup with some of the estimated 650,000 fans lining Wednesday’s victory parade route in Pittsburgh.