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

Downtown Pittsburgh streets and Point State Park were filled with a record number of people as the 2017 Penguins Stanley Cup victory parade made its way through the city.

Downtown Pittsburgh streets and Point State Park were filled with a record number of people as the 2017 Penguins Stanley Cup victory parade made its way through the city.

WEBVTT STANLEY IS OFFICIALLYUNDERWAY.REPORTER: TODAY ALL EYES WERE ONPITTSBURGH AND THE PENGUINS ASTHE CITY KNOWS HOW TO THROW ABIG BLOCK PARTY AND VICTOPARADE.[CHEERING]REPORTER: THAT STARTED THEVICTORY PARADE PARTY ON GRANTúSTREET.[SOUND O DRUMS ][CHEERING]REPORTER: FANS SHOWED UP EARLY,THEY PACKED SHOULDER TO SHOULDERTO SEE THE STANLEY CUPCHAMPIONS.[CHEERING]>> IT WAS MY FIRST TIME.REPORTER: YEAH?>> AND WE WON THE STANLEY CUPI'M SO HAPPY!YES.REPORTER: NOT ONLY SEEING THEPLAYERS BUT TOUCHING THE PLAYERSTOO.THEY SLAPPED HIGH-FIVES WITHEXCITED FANS ON THE PARADEROUTE.IT'S ALSO BIG FUN BEING IN THEPARADE.♪[MUSIC PLAYING]]>> NORTH ALLEGANY HIGH SCHOOLDRUM PAGE OR RECEIPT AND ATRUMPET PLAYER WERE ECSTATIC TOKNOW THEIR BAND RECEIVED ANINVITATION TO MARCH IN THEPENGUINS VICTORY PARADE.>> WE WERE ALL SO EXCITED.IT'S SUCH AN HONOR AND AND I WASTHROUGH THE ROOF I WAS SOTHRILLED.>> I WAS REALLY EXCITED THISYEAR.I COULDN'T DO IT LAST YEARBECAUSE I WAS OUT OF TOWN.WHEN I REALIZED I COULD DO ITTHIS YEAR I WAS SUPER EXCITED.>> I LOVE THE PLAYERS, SEEINGTHE PLAYERS BRING THE CUP HOMEIS OUTSTANDING.REPORTER: AT THE VERY END TEAMCAPTAIN SIDNEY CROSBY HOISTEDTHE CUP.AND WITH ALL THE FUN EVERYONEHAD TODAY MANY FANS SAY THEYEXPECT TO BE BACK AGAIN NEXTYEAR FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVESTANLEY CUP VICTORY PARADE.

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

Downtown Pittsburgh streets and Point State Park were filled with a record number of people as the 2017 Penguins Stanley Cup victory parade made its way through the city.

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.

PITTSBURGH —

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 parade

SLIDESHOW: Photos from the 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup parade

Pittsburgh Penguins 2017 Stanley Cup parade

Penguins fans lined the streets and filled parking garages to get a look at the 2017 Stanley Cup parade.

The 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.

Penguins fans filled Point State park for a Stanley Cup victory rally.

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.

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

Downtown Pittsburgh streets and Point State Park were filled with a record number of people as the 2017 Penguins Stanley Cup victory parade made its way through the city.

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