PITTSBURGH — Jim Balsillie, a Canadian business executive whose company makes the BlackBerry wireless messaging device, was negotiating Wednesday to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins, with a sales agreement expected soon.

The Penguins have set an informal deadline to reach a deal by opening night, and the team plays its first game Thursday at home against Philadelphia.

If an agreement is reached by then, Balsillie is expected to attend the Flyers-Penguins game. The Penguins declined Wednesday to comment about a possible sale, either to Balsillie or any other interested group.

Balsillie, co-chief executive officer of Research in Motion Ltd., stepped in and began negotiating after the Penguins and Toronto businessman Sam Fingold could not complete a deal. The team announced July 28 that Fingold had reached a preliminary deal, for approximately $175 million.

Balsillie's company is based in Waterloo, Ontario, which is close to Hamilton — a city that has been seeking an NHL team. However, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday night in Raleigh, N.C., the league is intent on keeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh as long as a new arena is built.

Bettman declined to say whether the Balsillie group is close to completing the deal.

"I'm not in the position to announce anything or to confirm or deny anything they haven't spoken on," Bettman said. "Obviously the club is for sale and they are actively engaged in the sale process. But the most important message to take away from it is we believe the Penguins should be in Pittsburgh, and as long as there's a new building coming, our goal and objective will be to keep the team there."

Negotiations for an arena to replace the 45-year-old Mellon Arena have been held up because Lemieux's group has a deal with the Isle of Capri casino chain to build the arena at no cost to the team or city

That deal is contingent on Isle of Capri being granted the license for a new downtown Pittsburgh slot machine parlor.