Berube visibly conflicted about his feelings on Auston Matthews in the gold medal game

The stage is officially set for Sunday morning in Milan. The entire hockey universe is gearing up for the ultimate best-on-best showdown at Santagiulia Arena.

Canada meets the United States with Olympic glory on the line. The puck drop is scheduled for 8:10 a.m. Eastern, and the anticipation is off the charts.

Berube hails from Alberta. He grew up cheering for the red and white, so his national pride is deeply rooted in Canadian hockey history.

But the dynamic shifts when your franchise player wears the stars and stripes. Matthews is proudly serving as the captain and driving the bus for the American squad.

"I’m cheering for our players, but I’m Canadian, too, so I’m torn a little bit," Berube admitted to reporters following practice on Saturday. "Just looking forward to watching a great game."

The veteran bench boss knows exactly what is at stake. He understands the heavy emotional toll this tournament takes on the game's brightest stars.

Matthews has been an absolute machine in Italy. He has racked up six points while centering the top unit and dictating the pace of play.

He is single-handedly carrying the offensive output for the Americans. Their transition game looks incredibly dangerous every time he touches the ice.

Team Canada survived a massive scare against Finland to reach this final. They relied on crisp passing and late-game heroics to secure a 3-2 victory.

Meanwhile, the United States completely dismantled Slovakia 6-2 to punch their ticket. They are rolling right now and look extremely tough to beat.

From a selfish standpoint, Berube needs his superstar to return to Toronto completely energized. A gold medal would provide a massive confidence boost for the stretch run.

But actively rooting against your home country is a bitter pill to swallow. The rivalry between these two nations is the best in the sport.

Leafs Nation is equally split on the matter. Fans desperately want their captain to succeed, but millions across Ontario simply cannot stomach an American victory on the international stage.

Sunday morning will deliver pure theater. Berube will be glued to his television right along with the rest of us, waiting to see who claims hockey supremacy.

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