After the Pittsburgh Penguins won the NHL championship for the second year in a row, more than 650,000 fans showed up to the celebratory parade. Compared to the 400,00 fans that came to the festivities last year, this year’s parade will go down as one of the most attended in NHL history.
The parade ran through downtown Pittsburgh and ended at Point State Park where the team and fans gathered to hear from the coaches and players. The city only has 305,000 residents, yet the enormity of the Penguins fan base can be seen through the parade’s attendance more than doubling the city’s population.
The Penguins beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 to win the Stanley Cup Trophy, taking games 1,2, 5 and 6. Pittsburgh clinched the series and the championship with a 2-0 win in Game 6, the winning goal scored by Patric Hornqvist as it bounced off a Predators’ back into the goal. Nashville tried to challenge the play, but upon video review, the call on the ice was upheld. Garnering the Conn Smythe trophy as Stanley Cup playoffs MVP was Sidney Crosby.
“Look at this scene. This is what it’s all about. We worked all year to get to this point,” said Crosby to the crowd of Penguins fans. “Thanks for your support. We couldn’t do it without you. That Game 5 is something I think we’ll all remember. Thanks for showing up today, and let’s try to do this again next year.” Sidney led Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup, and, with his receiving the Conn Smythe trophy, he solidified his legacy as an all-time NHL great.
The Penguins were the first team in the NHL to win back-to-back championships since the Red Wings in 1997-98. This type of success comes with the attitude of always looking forward to the future. This teams mentality can best be summed up in a quote from their coach, Michael Sullivan: “This team’s been through a lot, and you guys (the fans) have been there every step of the way. I said a little something last year and saying if we could do this again … I wonder if we could repeat, or three-peat, should I say.”
Featured Image Via Wikimedia Commons
