Michelle Stafford Mourns the Death of Her Stepfather

Our thoughts are with THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS star Michelle Stafford (Phyllis) as she and her family grieve the loss of her stepfather, Ed Lee.

It’s well-known that Stafford is a fan of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, and it’s a connection she apparently shared with her stepdad: Lee — who was married to Stafford’s mom, Paulette — was an off-ice official for the National Hockey League who covered the Kings. During the broadcast of the team’s March 9 night game against the Dallas Stars, the Kings honored Lee, sharing that he had passed away the night before.

Stafford shared a clip of the tribute on X/Twitter. “Unfortunately, sad news for all of us with the Kings and the NHL,” explained the announcer as a photo of the actress’ stepfather flashed on the screen. “Ed Lee, longtime off-ice official, passed away last night. Ed covered Kings games for over 40 years. A great guy, a wonderful soul, and our condolences to Ed’s wife, Paulette, his family, and many, many friends.”

Captioning the video clip, the Y&R star (and GENERAL HOSPITAL alum) expressed her appreciation to the organization for the sweet gesture. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the LA Kings for dedicating the game last night to my stepfather,” Stafford wrote. “I am truly beyond touched.” (You can see the video clip here.)

Stafford also retweeted a post made by the LA Kings Insider Twitter/X account, which was a photo of Lee presumably at work, wearing an official NHL blazer and ID tag. “The L.A. Kings honor the memory of Ed Lee, who passed away Friday night,” said the post. “Ed was a member of the League’s Off-Ice Officials Crew in L.A. for more than 40 years. We remember Ed for his incredible kindness, professionalism, and humor, and his commitment to the game of hockey.”

Please join us in sending our condolences to Stafford, her mother, and their entire family during this difficult time.