Originally Posted by JohnSanders
In other words, you know it's wrong, but want to pretend that it isn't. Why do you think that obvious safety rules don't apply to you? It is impossible to completely empty any fuel canister of residual fuel. It is completely irresponsible to even think about taking a gas canister on an aircraft, and thus potentially endanger hundreds of lives. Gas canisters and camping stoves are cheap enough to buy new. If you can afford to fly from SFO to NZ, then you can afford to buy new gear.
Very interesting inerpretation. The OP could simply be trying to avoid future hassle. If they tell him no and note his record, it could mean extra time at check-in. This is a fairly reasonable assumption these days. As for taking an empty gas canister on a flight - not even close to a danger. Enough with the doom and gloom. Lighters are more dangerous than an empty (and aired out) fuel canister.
Now back to the original topic. Unless NZ has some sort of import restriction, this should not be a problem in checked baggage. The steps that you have taken to ensure that the canister and stove are empty should be enough (burning off excess fuel shouldn't be needed with an MSR stove). I would definitely pack the stove close to the top of your bag and make sure that it is in a clear plastic bag so they can readily identify it if they search your bags. Leave the top off the fuel bottle as well.