Thousands of hockey fans lined the streets of Cole Harbour, N.S., to watch hometown hero Sidney Crosby and the Stanley Cup parade through the community.

This year's Stanley Cup parade marks the second victory tour in the Pittsburgh Penguins captain's career: Crosby also brought the Cup home to Nova Scotia in 2009.

Crosby not only led the Penguins to the team's fourth Stanley Cup championship, he also won his first Conn Smythe Trophy for being the most valuable player during the playoffs.

Thousands of hockey fans lined the streets last year in Cole Harbour for a parade featuring Sidney Crosby and the Stanley Cup. (Paul Palmeter/CBC)

Crosby has been in Halifax all week overseeing the second year of his annual hockey camp. But Friday he gave fans a sneak preview of the parade when he brought the Cup to a local Tim Hortons and also made stops at Camp Hill Veterans Memorial Hospital and his hockey school.

Sidney Crosby Arena?

Dartmouth municipal councillor Gloria McCluskey, 84, who is retiring after decades in public office, was one of the first people to take the microphone following the parade.

"Sidney, you gave me some nervous moments this winter. I never missed one game. I hope you feel the love here today. Cole Harbour is your hometown, but we all claim you, Sidney," she said. McCluskey also proposed renaming Cole Harbour Place for Sidney Crosby.

It's not the first time Cole Harbour has considered renaming an area for its famous son. City council is mulling over renaming a local street, Forest Hills Parkway, for Crosby as well.

Sidney Crosby speaks during a question-and-answer session following Saturday's Stanley Cup parade in Cole Harbour. (Paul Palmeter/CBC)

Crosby answered a series of questions put forth by youngsters at his hockey camp, including who his favourite athletes were growing up and what sport outside of hockey he would like to play. Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings was the hockey hero of his youth, he said, and he was thrilled to meet basketball idol Michael Jordan at a golf tournament. If he couldn't play hockey, he'd want to play baseball, he told the kids.

Tough but rewarding season

This tour with the Stanley Cup was especially meaningful, Crosby told the crowd. The NHL championship win came after a particularly rocky season.

"Early in the season, it wasn't looking pretty. That's the game of hockey, you never know what's going to happen," Crosby said.

"There [was] a lot of doubt. But we stuck together and it was even more special."

He acknowledged that "not even knowing if I was going to play hockey at one point" made the Stanley Cup win even more rewarding.

CBC staff live-tweeted updates from the parade.