Chicago Blackhawks Parade 2015: Twitter Reaction, Photos, Videos and More

The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to win the 2015 Stanley Cup on Monday night. It marks the franchise's third championship in six years, and the players embraced the chance to celebrate with their fans Thursday.

Festivities for hockey's newest dynasty started with a parade around downtown Chicago before ending up at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears. There, a rally was held to recognize all of the team's accomplishments since 2010.

The parade got underway a bit late thanks to an amazing coincidence, as NBC Sports pointed out:

Once things kicked off, the Chicago Sun-Times highlighted the huge crowds lining both sides of the street along the parade route:

The size of the crowd only grew as the envoy of buses moved closer to Soldier Field. Fans got a glimpse before heading in for the rally, via NBC Chicago:

Leah Hope of ABC Chicago passed along an example of the excitement level in the crowd:

There was a large buzz among the crowd as the team arrived at the home of the Bears. The Blackhawks showed the players huddled in the tunnel ready to enter the stadium:

As expected, a massive crowd was on hand to welcome the champs, per Sportsnet:

They made their presence heard when captain Jonathan Toews brought the Cup on stage. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times described the moment:

Many of the players were still sporting their playoff beards, while others had trimmed them down to championship mustaches. As for those who were already clean-shaven, Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports had a prediction:

Along with the facial hair, several players also had fully autographed jerseys, which make awesome keepsakes.

Following the arrival of the Cup, there was an outstanding montage showing highlights from the team's 16 playoff wins that landed it in the winners circle. David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune was among those impressed with the production:

As the players were introduced, Duncan Keith told an amusing story about buying obstructed-view seats in Chicago during his younger days. He then remarked how much better his view was standing on the stage in the middle of Soldier Field.

Patrick Sharp raved about the fan support, as the Blackhawks illustrated:

One of the loudest ovations of the day came when Kimmo Timonen, who is retiring after finally capturing the Cup, took the stage. Chris Emma of CBS Chicago captured the veteran defenseman's embrace with the coveted trophy:

Patrick Kane has received recognition for maturing during the Blackhawks' extended period of success. He joked he's not making any promises for the duration of the championship party, though, as Lazerus pointed out:

Toews wrapped up the rally by looking ahead:

The celebration will continue throughout the summer as each player enjoys his day with the Cup. In the meantime, the Blackhawks front office has some work to do with a large group of free agents, headlined by Johnny Oduya (unrestricted) and Brandon Saad (restricted).

Although most or all of the core group should remain together, the rest of the roster could look a lot different by next fall. These moments are special because there's no guarantee another one is on the horizon.

Chicago sure knows how to celebrate when the championships do arrive, though.