The current Gagarin Cup holder HC Lokomotiv Yaroslavl will host the Minsk Bisons. The Minsk team entered the 2025 Channel One Cup break in excellent form, having won five consecutive games. Their latest outing on 2 December saw them edge out HC Amur Khabarovsk in a shootout 3-2. Although the Yaroslavl side also started the month with two wins in the Far East, they came on the heels of three straight defeats at the hands of conference competitors.

«Obviously, Lokomotiv is one of the best teams in the league, if not the best. We don’t focus on how they play. What matters is how we perform, how we control the pace of the game. We’ve got to stick to our system, play as one. Our confidence doesn’t depend on who we’re facing,» the Minsk Bisons’ forward Sam Anas noted. «We ended the first part of the championship on a high. Now the task is to carry that momentum forward. We’re really looking forward to getting back to action.»

In the Western Conference standings, only one point separates the teams: HC Lokomotiv Yaroslavl is in second place with 48 points, while HC Dinamo Minsk is right behind despite having four games in hand. The opponents met earlier this season on 29 September, when the Minsk Bisons emerged victorious after a shootout at home 3-2. The second encounter of the season between HC Dinamo Minsk and HC Lokomotiv Yaroslavl will kick off at 7.00 p.m.

Photo: BelTA