Tumba played for the Swedish club Djurgårdens IF from 1950 to 1966, winning eight Swedish Championships and leading the league top goal scorer three years.
He had a lengthy international career, playing for Sweden at 14 IIHF World Championships, four Winter Olympics, named best forward at the 1957 and 1962 World Championships and top scorer at the 1964 Winter Olympics.
He also captained the national team.
Djurgården has retired number 5 in his honor.

Tumba still holds the Swedish scoring record of 186 goals (in 245 games) for the Swedish national team.

In 1997, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame and was in 1999 awarded the "Best Swedish Ice-hockey Player of All Times", outvoting prominent players such as Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin.

Tumba was the first European player to attend an NHL training camp, with the Boston Bruins in 1957.
He reportedly received a $50,000 contract offer from the Bruins after scoring a goal against the New York Rangers in a preseason exhibition game as well as making five appearance for the Rangers Quebec Aces minor league team.
However, Tumba turned down the offer as he would no longer have been eligible to play amateur hockey for the Swedish national team.

As a player:
1950–63: 8-time Swedish Champion (1954, 55, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
1952: Olympic bronze, Oslo, Norway.

1953: World Champion, Zurich-Basel, Switzerland.

1954: World Championship Bronze, Stockholm, Sweden
1956: Olympic 5th place, Cortina, Italy.

1957: Test player for Boston Bruins.
He was offered a contract, but turned it down, since he then would have become ineligible to play for the Swedish national team.

1957: World Champion, Moscow, USSR (also nominated best forward.)

1958: World Championship Bronze, Oslo, Norway.

1960: Olympic 5th place, Squaw Valley, USA.

1962: World Champion, Colorado Springs, USA (also nominated best forward.)

1963: World Championship Silver, Stockholm, Sweden
1964: Olympic Silver, Innsbruck, Austria.

1965: World Championship Bronze, Tampere, Rauma, Finland.

1989: Nominated the best Swedish ice hockey player throughout time.

Ice hockey projects:
1955: Inventor of the first hockey helmet, the SPAPS helmet.

1957: Founder of the Swedish ice hockey school on TV and the first ice hockey tournament for children, TV-pucken.
Tumba played for the Swedish club Djurgårdens IF from 1950 to 1966, winning eight Swedish Championships and leading the league top goal scorer three years. He had a lengthy international career, playing for Sweden at 14 IIHF World Championships, four Winter Olympics, named best forward at the 1957 and 1962 World Championships and top scorer at the 1964 Winter Olympics. He also captained the national team. Djurgården has retired number 5 in his honor.
Tumba still holds the Swedish scoring record of 186 goals (in 245 games) for the Swedish national team.
In 1997, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame and was in 1999 awarded the "Best Swedish Ice-hockey Player of All Times", outvoting prominent players such as Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin.
Tumba was the first European player to attend an NHL training camp, with the Boston Bruins in 1957. He reportedly received a $50,000 contract offer from the Bruins after scoring a goal against the New York Rangers in a preseason exhibition game as well as making five appearance for the Rangers Quebec Aces minor league team. However, Tumba turned down the offer as he would no longer have been eligible to play amateur hockey for the Swedish national team.
As a player:
1950–63: 8-time Swedish Champion (1954, 55, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
1952: Olympic bronze, Oslo, Norway.
1953: World Champion, Zurich-Basel, Switzerland.
1954: World Championship Bronze, Stockholm, Sweden
1956: Olympic 5th place, Cortina, Italy.
1957: Test player for Boston Bruins. He was offered a contract, but turned it down, since he then would have become ineligible to play for the Swedish national team.
1957: World Champion, Moscow, USSR (also nominated best forward.)
1958: World Championship Bronze, Oslo, Norway.
1960: Olympic 5th place, Squaw Valley, USA.
1962: World Champion, Colorado Springs, USA (also nominated best forward.)
1963: World Championship Silver, Stockholm, Sweden
1964: Olympic Silver, Innsbruck, Austria.
1965: World Championship Bronze, Tampere, Rauma, Finland.
1989: Nominated the best Swedish ice hockey player throughout time.
Ice hockey projects:
1955: Inventor of the first hockey helmet, the SPAPS helmet.
1957: Founder of the Swedish ice hockey school on TV and the first ice hockey tournament for children, TV-pucken.
Sven Tumba