What a crowd! 650,000 Penguins fans turn out for parade and rally to celebrate back-to-back Stanley Cup champions

Downtown streets were filled with huge numbers of Penguins fans -- believed to be the largest crowd in Pittsburgh history -- as the Stanley Cup victory parade made its way through the city Wednesday.An estimated 650,000 people watched the parade and the championship rally at Point State Park, according to Guy Costa, the city's chief operations officer, and Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich.That number is over 200,000 greater than the 2016 Stanley Cup parade and would be the largest crowd ever for an event of this type in the city of Pittsburgh.FULL VIDEO: Watch the Penguins victory paradeSLIDESHOW: Photos from the 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup paradeThe parade began on the East Busway at Grant Street. Players rode in convertibles and pickup trucks as they proceeded down Grant to the Boulevard of the Allies and then to the Point, where a stage was set up for the rally.Several of the players left their vehicles and walked the parade route, shaking hands with fans and signing autographs along the way.Team captain Sidney Crosby repeatedly hopped out of his truck and brought the Stanley Cup over to the sidewalk so fans could touch the trophy.The Penguins are the first team to successfully defend the Cup since the Detroit Red Wings won back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998.It's also the second time that Pittsburgh has repeated as champions, having previously accomplished the feat in 1991 and 1992.