The instigator of a brutal fight that ended with a New York Rangers fan lying stunned in the middle of a Philadelphia intersection faces assault charges stemming from the altercation between rival hockey fans following the NHL Winter Classic, police said Friday. Dennis Veteri was charged Thursday with aggravated and simple assault and other counts stemming from the Jan. 2 fight following the outdoor matchup between the Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. Police said Veteri threw the punch that turned a verbal dispute physical, then landed a blow that knocked an off-duty police officer and Iraq war veteran unconscious.
