Blackhawks, Fans Celebrate Stanley Cup: 'Let's Do Four'
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz spoke for all of Chicago on Thursday when he said celebrating a Stanley Cup championship will never get old, no matter how many times the team pulls off the feat.
"It's an exciting day today," Wirtz said. "Why not try to do four? We're at three now, let's do four."
The Blackhawks won their third Stanley Cup in six years on Monday, when they shut out the Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-0, in Game 6 at the United Center, the first time the Blackhawks won it all on home ice since 1938.
Wirtz also had the joke of the day.
"Did anyone notice we had rain a little rain on Monday night?" Wirtz said. "I didn't see any Lightning."
Hundreds of thousands of Blackhawks fans crowded downtown streets to watch the Stanley Cup parade on Thursday, and more than 60,000 packed into Soldier Field for the victory rally afterward.
Later Thursday, the city estimated that two million fans lined the parade route and area surrounding Soldier Field during the rally.
"You guys never cease to amaze me," coach Joel Quenneville said as he took the stage.
Star winger Patrick Kane was the first Blackhawk to take to the podium, introducing captain Jonathan Toews, who walked out with the Stanley Cup as cannons went off in the background. There was also a flyover.
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Blackhawks broadcaster Pat Foley then took over for the introduction, calling the team's third titles in the past years "spectacular" and the "best of them all."
"What made it the best was they did it on a sheet of ice just down the way from here," Foley said
Corey Crawford again dropped an f-bomb on the crowd, screaming "f***ing right Chicago" as he took the podium.
In a touching moment, Blackhawks winger Kris Versteeg gave the team's Game 6 ceremonial belt to C.J., the young son of the late Clint Reif, the team's assistant equipment manager who passed away in December.
A hoarse Toews said it was difficult enough two years ago coming up with the words to express the joy of winning another Stanley Cup. Winning a third made it that much harder.
"We all know that we're a part of the best organization in sports in the world," Toews said. "We play for the best fans in the world.
"We know this is amazing to be able to hoist this thing, but to do it on home ice, and in front of you guys, in front of our fans, and to share this with you guys, the best fans in the world, it doesn't get any better than this.
"Maybe the only way it does get better, is if we win four. Let's go."
