“I didn’t put it all together that it resembled sexual abuse or sexual assault. By not asking more questions — and I take ownership on that — that had I known more, I would have handled it completely different.”

Nothing in the independent report disputes Quenneville’s assertions he didn’t know more, but “an inappropriate text or two” should have been enough to raise red flags.

Quenneville said McDonough had a strict structure for the coaching staff and Hawks management, which Quenneville nicknamed “The Firm.”

“I knew what my job was, and that was to stay in my own lane and do my job as a coach,” Quenneville said. “I think what I heard in that meeting didn’t qualify.”

“Didn’t qualify” sounds like a cop-out. Have a conversation with Aldrich at the least. Playoffs or not. “The Firm” or not. He was one of your subordinates.

Brent Sopel, a Hawks defenseman at the time, previously told the Tribune about Aldrich’s alleged behavior: “Did every person know about it? Absolutely. Every person. Every coach. Everybody knew about it.”

Other witnesses, including players, contradicted Sopel when questioned by Jenner & Block investigators.

Sopel said Wednesday through a representative that he stands by his claim that everyone knew and by all previous statements he made. He declined to respond to Quenneville’s comments.

Sopel and Nick Boynton were the players who brought the allegations by Beach and the other player about Aldrich to skating coach Paul Vincent. Vincent brought the matter to mental skills coach James Gary, who later brought it to management.

Vincent said he couldn’t recall any time he discussed Aldrich’s alleged misconduct with Quenneville, to whom he reported, either during the 2010 playoffs or later.

“Not really because I believed that the team psychologist (Gary) was going to handle it appropriately,” he told the Tribune. But in his estimation, Gary and team executives didn’t when they didn’t report Beach’s allegations to Chicago Police.

“The police would have had to intervene, interview people.”

Vincent said he shared his concerns in a separate meeting with management in May 2010, though several witnesses have disputed that.

“I know in my heart that I told the truth,” he said. “And it was buried.”

Asked for his reaction to Quenneville’s podcast interview, Vincent said: “He doesn’t want to remember or doesn’t want to say: ‘Yeah, that’s what happened. I take full blame for not pursuing anything.’ Instead he just kind of runs in a maze.

“You have an obligation as a coach to be honest, to be forthright and to protect your players.”

Still, Vincent admits he has mixed feelings about Quenneville, whom he respects as a three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach.

“I thought we got along immensely,” he said. “I thought we were, I guess, friends. And that’s why I keep saying it’s a shame in this era that people can’t be honest and forthright and say what happened to Kyle.”

Vincent believes Quenneville should be allowed to coach again.

“I think everybody deserves a second chance,” he said.

Quenneville said during the interview that he has had several inquiries from teams, though he needs clearance from Bettman before anyone can hire him. But he’s had discussions with Bettman in recent months.

“I’ve been more than patient,” Quenneville said. “What’s the next move?”

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