By not requesting a salary increase, Pittsburgh Penguins can acquire more good players without exceeding the salary cap.
"Sidney makes a great personal sacrifice to help Penguins win. There are no words that describe what Sidney Crosby means to hockey, Pittsburgh, and the Penguins organization", says the team's general manager Kyle Dubas to the team's website.
"He is the greatest player of his generation and one of the greatest of all time."
Crosby came to Pittsburgh in 2005 and has been its captain since 2007. In 2016 and 2017, he led Penguins to Stanley Cup victory.
A week ago, during NHL's media days, Crosby said he doesn't think about how long he will keep going.
Right now, it feels good, very good. My body feels good and I have the same passion as when I started in the league.