Sergei Brylin’s team has yet to reward their fans with a victory, and the Minsk side will try to break their losing streak in a match against HC Sibir Novosibirsk. The Minsk Bisons brought home just a single point from their opening road trip of the season. At the moment, the club sits with four losses, three points, and the 10th spot (second to last) in the Western Conference standings. Forward Rhett Gardner has returned to the lineup from the injured reserve ahead of the home game.

HC Sibir Novosibirsk has got off to a similar start, with the team claiming just one win in five matches, the same three points, and 10th place in the Eastern Conference. In their previous away game on 7 September, the Novosibirsk club suffered a heavy 1–7 defeat to HC Barys Astana. The team features Belarusian forward Maxim Sushko, who has yet to record a point this season.

In the previous regular season, HC Dinamo Minsk and HC Sibir Novosibirsk met twice and traded home victories, with the Bisons routing their opponents 7–0 on home ice. During the off-season, the rivals squared off in the Minsk Cup third-place match, where the Minsk side came out on top a month ago with a 4–3 score. The teams’ first game of the new season will kick off at the Minsk Arena today. The match will be dedicated to People’s Unity Day, which was celebrated the day before, 17 September.