The New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation will discuss the issue with the International Ice Hockey Federation later this year.
New Zealand players returned to their home towns this week with bronze medals to show for their efforts at the tournament - memorable for all the wrong reasons.
Wakatipu High School year-13 pupil Cameron Frear (17) arrived back in Queenstown on Tuesday, after he and at least 100 others were affected by a dizzying concoction of chemicals inside the ice rink at the San Jeronimo Arena.
Competing in the third division section, Frear said after just 7hr at the rink some of his team-mates became so sick they were unable to walk.
‘‘I was carrying people down to the bus because they couldn't walk . . . it was pretty scary seeing some of your best mates pretty sick.''
The teenager said the New Zealand team arrived at the ice rink about 2.30pm to prepare for its first match against Mongolia. Following a 29-0 win, the team took part in the opening ceremony and stayed on to watch host Mexico play South Africa.
It was then Frear said he became aware something was wrong, when he and others began suffering splitting migraines.
‘‘We all had headaches but we thought it was altitude sickness.''
The Chinese-Taipei players were vomiting and the New Zealanders assumed they were also affected by the altitude - until the second period in the Mexico-South Africa encounter later on Sunday night.
‘‘South Africa defaulted halfway through the game - they had four out of 16 [still able to play].''
Several players were taken to a medical room at the rink, where witnessing the extent of the problem was terrifying, Frear said.
‘‘We knew there was something wrong - people who had lived in Mexico their whole lives were on oxygen. A couple of guys were on drips. Most guys, you could look at them and they didn't know their name or where they were.''
After carrying his team mates to the bus, Frear's migraine got worse before he vomited and ‘‘blacked out''. A team-mate was also suffering heart palpitations.
In total, 55 spectators were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, possibly compounded by paint fumes and strong cleaning products used in the rink.
After Mexican organisers made initial denials there was any form of poisoning, teams put up a united front, threatening to boycott the tournament and return to their home countries unless the problem was found and solved, Frear said.
Organisers then admitted a level of carbon monoxide ‘‘40 to 70 times what the human body can handle'' had come from a Zamboni - the machine used to smooth and refreeze the ice after each period. It had not been registering the correct levels of the poison being released from the machine.
Alleged chlorine poisoning had also come from cleaning products that were too strong and paint fumes from freshly painted changing rooms further compounded the problem, Frear said.
The New Zealand team was to have played again the next night, but was given two rest days to recover - and even then several players had not been cleared to play.
‘‘Five guys didn't want to play - three weren't allowed to play, they were the really sick guys, and two didn't want to put themselves in that situation again.''
During their second match, the New Zealand team's carbon monoxide levels were tested every 10min and their heart rates were taken every time they came off the ice, he said.
