‘We haven’t taken the name off yet.’ Deal expired, but PNC Arena could keep its name.

The Carolina Hurricanes and PNC Bank are halfway through a 90-day extension of their naming-rights deal without a new agreement but Hurricanes president Don Waddell said Wednesday night that PNC Arena remains likely to remain … PNC Arena.

“It’s still named PNC,” Waddell said. “We’re working toward an extension with them. I feel confident we’ll get something done in the next little bit. That’s why we haven’t taken the name off yet.”

The original 20-year deal between the Hurricanes and what was originally RBC Centura Bank, worth $4 million per year, expired at the end of August, but the two sides agreed to extend the negotiating window to pursue a long-term extension. Any naming-rights revenue is divided among the Hurricanes, N.C. State and the Centennial Authority, which oversees the arena.

PNC assumed the deal when it purchased RBC Centura in 2011. Representatives with the Pittsburgh -based bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In August, Waddell told the Centennial Authority, “We’re in some heavy negotiations with multiple companies right now.”

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes opened their season Wednesday night with a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and the team’s name on their helmets instead of the Lenovo advertisement that was there last season. Waddell said that was a one-year deal with Lenovo that was not renewed, although the team was interested in finding a new helmet sponsor.

Waddell said the Hurricanes would also consider wearing an advertising patch on their jersey, as some NHL teams are this season, but have found it to be a buyer’s market.

“The story behind the patches, it’s a great thing for the league obviously, but I think we counted the other day there are 119 teams trying to sell patches and five or six NHL teams have had success,” Waddell said. “Everything came on the market the same time, all the leagues decided they were going to do it at the same time, so maybe a year ago it would have been a little different?

“The way the economy is right now, some of these big companies, they’re laying off employees and it makes it hard for them to spend millions of dollars to put a patch on a jersey.”

Generally speaking, though, Waddell said the franchise has “never been in a better shape from a business standpoint.”

“Six years ago we had 4,500 season-ticket holders and we have almost 14,000 now,” Waddell said. “We put the product on the ice and the fans have responded.”