For sure, the exchange rate is a challenge, but that has more to do with being able to afford to attract and retain talent, both on and off the ice. When the Canadian dollar was trading around 63 cents US in the early 2000s, smaller market teams in Canada were struggling, especially without the salary cap.
And yes, of course this means that there's a premium on price that comes with a more sluggish Canadian dollar. Winnipeg is certainly more challenged than, say, Edmonton, given the relative lack of corporate support. Having said that, as I've said in other threads, the level of marketing savvy shown by Canadian sports franchises in just about every sport at most levels is shockingly bad. The surprising exception has been the Toronto Raptors. Hockey teams at all levels are locked into a 1955 mindset.
My sole reason for getting into this discussion was to respond to the over-wrought generalization that the Canadian economy is "in the toliet." It's not, and it hasn't been for 15 years. Things aren't terrific, and economic gains are not evenly distributed across the country, nor are they distributed well demographically, but things aren't that bad either.