HC Shanghai Dragons were the Minsk Bisons’ first offseason opponents. The game was Sergei Brylin’s coaching debut for the club, and it also featured several newcomers making their Dinamo debuts. Two new faces, Rhett Gardner and Arseny Chukhrayev, found the back of the net in a match that ultimately ended in a 7-5 win for the hosts. Miroslav Mikhalyov and Sergei Kuznetsov both scored braces for Minsk, with Daniil Sotishvili adding another goal.

The Minsk Cup features six squads divided into two groups of three. In earlier action on 13 August, HC Admiral Vladivostok beat HC Sibir Novosibirsk 3-1. HC Admiral Vladivostok’s roster includes Belarus’ own Ivan Kulbakov and Yegor Chezganov, while Maksim Sushko took the ice for the Novosibirsk side. The group stage will continue at the Olympic Arena on 14 August with two matchups: HC Metallurg Magnitogorsk vs. HC Shanghai Dragons and HC Admiral Vladivostok vs. HC Sochi.

The Minsk Bisons will continue their home tournament on 15 August, when they square off against HC Metallurg Magnitogorsk. The top teams from each group will clash in the final on 17 August, while the third- and fifth-place consolidation games are also scheduled for that same day. HC Metallurg Magnitogorsk enter the tournament as the defending champions, having lifted the trophy in 2025.