Teams have been divided into two groups for the preliminary round. A trio of HC Dinamo Minsk, HC Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and HC Shanghai Dragons makes up Group A, while HC Admiral Vladivostok, HC Sochi, and HC Sibir Novosibirsk comprise Group B. The tournament’s curtain-raiser will see the Far East club take on the Siberians. Fans can then catch HC Dinamo Minsk’s preseason debut, who will face HC Shanghai Dragons.

The Minsk Bisons are set to clash with the Magnitogorsk side on 15 August. Group winners will book their spots in the final on 17 August, while the third- and fifth-place playoffs will take place earlier that day. In 2025, the Minsk Cup included HC Dinamo Minsk, HC Metallurg Magnitogorsk, HC Lada Togliatti, and HC Admiral Vladivostok, with the Urals team capturing the trophy.

The upcoming game will be the first behind the bench for Russian head coach Sergei Brylin since taking over the Minsk Bisons. Forward Rhett Gardner and defenseman Dmitry Kuzmin, as well as young forwards Ivan Anoshko and Arseny Chukhrayev, are in line to make their club debuts. Meanwhile, Belarus national team player Daniil Bokun and Russian Olympic champion Sergey Kalinin will be looking to earn a spot on the main roster.