Fifteen members of the teenaged Colorado Thunderbirds triple-A midget-minor hockey team were hospitalized from carbon monoxide poisoning Saturday night while playing in a tournament in suburban Chicago.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the leak occurred in a hockey rink near Glen Ellyn.
“We had 13 kids in the hosital, plus my manager and myself,” Thunderbirds coach Angelo Ricci said. “We played our first game (Saturday) and kids were feeling pretty bad and we didn’t know what was going on.
“We all got admitted at 11 p.m. and were released at 4 a.m. (Sunday). We were supposed to play in the quarterfinals at 7 a.m. but had to forfeit. Because of the stress on your body, they obviously recommended we didn’t play.”
Another 29 players were treated at the scene and released. None of the injuries was considered serious, according to the Tribune. Fire crews responded to the ice rink about 5:30 p.m. after a number of people complained of headaches, dizziness and vomiting, fire spokesman Craig Eldridge said in the Tribune.
