By Dan Hickling
Special to The Journal

BOSTON - The playoff fuzz (well most of it, anyway) may be gone, but the championship buzz was flourishing thicker than ever.

Three days after ending Boston's 39-year Stanley Cup drought, the Bruins brought the Cup home to Black and Gold Nation, more than 1 million strong, who hailed the duck boat motorcade that rolled from TD Garden to Copley Square.

"This is for you guys," said center Patrice Bergeron," moments before the boats set sail down Causeway Street, "you know this is your day. You guys have been believing, you guys have been behind us through the lows and highs and this is it. And you know, you guys have been waiting 39 years for this. But it's here and I hope it's going to be here again and again. And next time I hope we're going to do this [capture the Cup] in Boston.

"And you guys have been saying a chant during the playoffs about, 'We want the Cup.' Well you know what, 'We got the Cup, We got the Cup, We got the Cup.'".

And they didn't keep it to themselves.

At one point, team captain Zdeno Chara, the de factor keeper of the Cup, decided that all that hoisting and Cup kissing wasn't enough.

So he hopped off his boat, Cup clutched in his hands, and ran it down the line of fans, allowing them a touch of the Grail.

It's not my Cup but our Cup," said Chara moments before jumping back on his bicycle for the short ride home to the North End. "That's the way it should be. I just wanted everyone to have a piece of it."

From there, the Cup made its way from one boat full of Bs to another, for more lifting and smooching to the delight of their adoring fans.

Meanwhile, one fortunate soul went home with a signed, "parade worn" commemorative ball cap, which was tossed into the crowd by rookie Brad Marchand.

"It seems like everyone in Boston is here," said Marchand, one of nine former Providence Bruins who suited up for the Bs in the Finals. "We love everyone."

Clearly, everyone loves them back.

Bruins coach Claude Julien acknowledged the support he's received from his Hub counterparts -- Bill Belichick, Doc Rivers and Terry Francona -- each of whom already has at least one title ring in his jewelry box.

"Even before winning the championship," Julien said, "they made me feel like I was part of their group. Now, at least with a championship, (I) really feel like I belong."