Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate Stanley Cup title with championship parade

PITTSBURGH, June 15 (UPI) -- Professional hockey's newest champions celebrated their fourth Stanley Cup championship Wednesday with a heroic return in the Steel City -- or now, Title Town, USA.

The Pittsburgh Penguins showed off the iconic Stanley Cup during Wednesday's parade, which trickled through the tall canyons of the city's downtown area. Confetti rained down on the team as hundreds of thousands of fans cheered them on.

The Penguins clinched the title on Sunday by beating the San Jose Sharks and winning the series 4-2.

During the celebration, team captain Sidney Crosby expressed disappointment that the Pens weren't able to clinch the title at home, in Pittsburgh, in Game 5 -- instead of in Northern California, in front of Sharks fans, in Game 6.

Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford honored the team and fans at Wednesday's parade by suggesting another title next season.

"See you here next year," he said.

Heading into the playoffs, Pittsburgh was tied for the NHL's fourth-best regular season record. They beat the New York Rangers (4-1) in the first round, the Washington Capitals (4-2) in the second, and Tampa Bay (4-3) in the Eastern Conference finals before meeting the Sharks for the cup.

It was estimated that more than 400,000 fans turned out for Wednesday's celebration.

It's the Penguins' first Stanley Cup since 2009, which is also the last time the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers won a title. The city's Major League Baseball team, the Pirates, are still seeking their first championship since 1979.